Like A Phoenix
by Mr and Mrs Grimes
Summary: This is a modern young adult Richonne AU. Set in Atlanta, Georgia where Michonne attends a rich private high school during the day while trying to survive her abusive father during the night. Luckily for her the new English teacher makes it his business to know where she gets her bruises from and to help her find justice. Though, unexpected feelings begin to emerge between the pair
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a modern young adult Richonne AU. Set in Atlanta, Georgia where Michonne attends a rich private high school during the day while trying to survive her abusive father during the night. Luckily for her the new English teacher makes it his business to know where she gets her bruises from and to help her find justice. Though, unexpected feelings begin to emerge between the pair.

Prologue

No one really knew Michonne Anthony. She wasn't popular and wasn't the talkative type either. She mostly kept to herself and kept a distanced away from any unnecessary human interactions. Besides her obvious flaws, she wasn't exactly unpleasant to be around. But still, this was high school and rumors have a tendency of spreading like a nasty virus. The students gossiped about her, of course they did. Michonne was Alexandria's High hottest topic, especially after that incident she was involved in last November. Everyone knew about it.

The first day of the school year was always rough, but now that she was a senior she felt more at ease. Michonne adjusted her short school tie and opened her locker to gather her books. Closing her locker she walked down the hall at a normal pace. Some students openly stared in her direction, ogling her in her school uniform. Her skirt floated an inch above her thigh high socks and her breast stood perky in her button down white shirt. She reached her classroom and briskly walked inside. Regardless of the rumors, it didn't stop guys from wanting her for their own delusional reasons. Many of them found her to be an exotic delinquency they just had to obtain. Michonne didn't want any part in fulfilling their sick fantasies. So she did what she did best, ignored them.

Stepping further into her first class of the day, she glanced at the teacher who was lounging in his chair behind the desk, chewing on the end of an unsharpened pencil. Some students spared Michonne a glance before dropping their gaze and resumed chatting with their friends beside them. Michonne sighed and sat at the desk close to the window.

She didn't have any friends. Never truly did. Michonne didn't have anything in common with the other students. They all had real memories, real relationships, and normal worries. They knew where they came from. That was more then Michonne could say for herself. What she knew, what she thought she knew, all of it had been a lie. Her eyes stung as she felt herself become emotional all over again. Quickly she cleared her head of the churning thoughts. The last thing she needed was fresh gossip going around about her having a emotional break down during the middle of class.

More students piled in just as the bell rung. The pot-bellied teacher hefted himself out of his worn in chair and scrawled his name on the blackboard.

"Welcome to AP US history." The chubby man loudly announced over the dying chatter as he underlined his name in a thick layer of white chalk.

"I will be your handsome homeroom teacher for the entire school year. So aren't you all lucky?" He jokingly boast, receiving genuine chuckles around the classroom.

"Alright," He rubbed his meaty hands together. "One at a time I want you to stand up and give us a little introduction of your lovely self so that I and the rest of your peers can get to know you a little better." A resounding groan of annoyance passed around the room in response.

"I know, I get it. You're all seniors and probably already know everything about each other. But this is mostly for my benefit seeing as I only teach seniors. I've seen all your faces around school but this is your first time in my classroom. So humor me."

Great, all eyes on her was the last thing Michonne needed.

…...

Michonne stacked her school books in her locker and took out some light reading material. She closed her locker and went down the stairs towards the cafeteria. She'd been to majority of her classes and received a syllabus from each one. Michonne was thankful the day was almost over, after her last class she could put this day behind her until she'd have to do it all over again tomorrow.

She didn't have any money on her so she walked through the cafeteria door and headed outside to the courtyard. There were only a few other students out. Most preferring the loud and spacious indoors with their chosen groupies.

Michonne sat on the bench under the shady oak tree, away from prying eyes. She needed a break from the constant whispers and judgmental eyes she'd received all day. She opened the well used book and began rereading her favorite piece of literature. This was her peace.

…...

Rick erased the blackboard after the last of his student left for lunch. So far he felt his first day was going pretty well, all things considered. Being a teacher wasn't exactly new to him, he use to love it before he gave it up to become a cop. He found out being a cop was his true passion, feeling useful and helping others was something he was born to do. Being a teacher had its perks but nothing beat the satisfaction of putting someone dangerous behind bars and saving those who needed saving.

Picking up his briefcase he made his way to the courtyard. He didn't know any of the other teachers and he didn't want to risk running into Mrs. Anderson in the teachers lounge again. She was nice enough, he just wasn't in the right mind set to be able to deal with her overly bubbly personality at the moment.

Outwardly he looked fine and he carried about his day as normal, but inside he was a mess. He had a lot he was dealing with since the divorce. This was a fresh start, away from the hell he left behind in King County. He and Carl could have a second chance here if he played his cards right.

He stopped at the vending machine to buy a bottle of water before making his way towards the courtyard. The sun shinned bright and the weather was nice and mild. He received a few lingering gazes from the few students scattered outside eating at the picnic tables, curious about the new AP English Lit teacher no doubt.

Morgan had already given him the tour of the school after he hired him on the teacher faculty. Principle Jones was the only person he knew here.

Nearly five years ago Rick saved Morgan's son's life. His department had gotten a call from a panicked father screaming that his son had been kidnapped. Luckily Rick was close by and had been the one dispatched to the location. Apparently after finding out Morgan was loaded with more money then they knew what to do with, the crooks thought it be a good idea to take his son for ransom money.

Their plan blew to shit after Rick followed the car that matched the description to a grungy location. He called in backup before sneaking in and apprehending the two criminals after a brief shoot out with no casualties. After that Morgan made it his mission to repay Rick any way he was capable.

Spotting a bench peaking out from the other side of the oak tree Rick headed in that direction. He needed a moment away from everything to just breathe and try and relax before his final class for the day.

Rounding the tree he stopped in his tracks when he spotting a student sitting on the bench alone.

Hearing footstep close by Michonne looked up from her book. From her angle she cold only see a tall silhouette standing slightly to the side of her.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't think anyone would be over here." Rick explained with a smooth country grittiness to his words.

Michonne quirked a perfectly plucked brow. By the sound of his deep voice she could tell he was an older man, most likely one of the faculty members of the school.

"Sounds like your a long way from home. Are you new?" Michonne inquired off handed, still engrossed in her reading.

Alexandria High didn't get new faculty teachers often due to the great benefits that came with the job plus the high wage most school just don't offer. Rick squinted at the girl on the small bench unable to see much due to the bright sun. He stepped closer under the shade of the big oak tree, finally able to stop glaring through the sun rays.

"It's not too far off." Rick shrugged. He took in the young woman before him. She had her head down in a book. Her locs cascaded around the publication in her small hands, blocking his sight from her face. Noticing her feet propped up across the bench his eyes briefly traveled the length of her body. He stopped himself at her long legs adorned in white socks that complemented her dark skin.

 _Wow_ , Rick though. Why was he just know noticing how risque the female uniforms were at this school?

"Interesting reading material?" Rick ask, anxious to take his mind off of the disturbing reality that he just checked out a student. He and Lorie hadn't been intimate in a long time leading up to the unavoidable divorce. I had been so long for him but that was no excuse. He was a mess.

Michonne finally looked up from her book annoyed the guy wasn't taking the hint that she wasn't interested in a conversation. Their eyes locked, brown and electric blue gazing at the other. She quickly took in his face. He was definitely new. She looked down at the book in her hand before turning the cover towards his view.

"Jane Eyre. It's a novel by-

"Charlotte Bronte." Rick Finished for her. Michonne smirked.

"What do you know about Ms. Bronte?" She asked dubiously, tilting her head slightly. Rick placed his hands on his hips and did a more intimidating version of tilting his head with a playful glare in his eyes.

"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being, with an independent will; which I now exert to leave you. I would rather be happy than dignified." Rick quoted with confidence. He smirked as the young woman began laughing. Her laugh was a sweet melodic bell that turned his smirk into a genuine smile. He stood there with her underneath the shady oak watching as a thousand watt smile lit up her pretty face.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Rick unnecessarily gestured toward the spot where her feet occupied the bench. Michonne stiffened with hesitation. Would it be too rude to tell this teacher to fuck off? He seemed decent enough but it became glaringly apparent to Michonne that he didn't appear to be aware of who she was or what she'd done.

Michonne wasn't sure how she felt about that. Should she just spare him the humiliation of being spotting with her? Soon enough he'd find out. He'd hear the gossip or someone was bound to tell and he'd keep his distance, just like everyone else. Michonne felt a lonely ache in her chest.

"Go for it." Michonne shook her head and removed her feet. A little conversation wouldn't hurt anyone at the moment. When Rick sat down next to her she peeked over at him, getting a good look for the first time at the tall man with the curly brown hair and clean shaven face. He looked handsome in his standard teacher dress code. Even those worn in cowboy boots of his looked good on him. The man had some swagger. _Damn._ Michonne felt her cheeks heat up and looked away before she got caught ogling.

"I'm Rick. Though I suppose you should call me Mr. Grimes." Rick chuckled, still getting use to introducing himself with the title.

"I'm Michonne. Anthony. " She hesitated, watching him as he watched her, expecting him to connect the dot and jump away from her in repulsion. Finally she relaxed when he only smiled at her and nodded his head.

"Mi-chonne." He tested it out, his accent making her name sound like fine wine. "Can't say I've met anyone with a name like yours. It's beautiful." Rick nodded in reassurance. "Very beautiful." His eyes trailed her figure, as if he were taking all of her in.

"Thank you." Michonne whispered, unused to compliments. "You from King County?" she asked, attempting to get the topic off of her.

"Is it that obvious?" Rick chuckled. His hands firmly clasped between his parted legs.

"Educated guess. Earlier you mention your hometown wasn't far off. King County is the only place in Georgia with an accent like yours." As soon as the words left her lips she regretted them.

"You've been to King County? Rick inquired.

"Uh, no...well yeah, only once. Summer visit." Michonne stuttered. God she could be such an idiot sometimes. Rick quirked his brow noticing her discomfort.

"Do you have family in King County?"He tilted his head at her, watching as she began to squirm. His interest peaking.

"Yeah." Michonne answered almost dismissively. "Family." Her attention went back to her book, feeling foolish for thinking this was a good idea. Noticing her closing off, Rick dropped the topic. The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable by forcing her to share something she clearly had no desire to share.

"So, what year are you?" He asked instead.

Michonne was grateful for the topic change.

"Year 12. Almost out." She couldn't help but smile. The thought of leaving this place behind was something she often fantasied about.

"I remember the feeling." Rick smiled, remembering his crazy senior year with his old high school friends. Back when things were less complicated. "Any idea what you want to do after graduation?"

"Once I get my bachelors I plan on going to law school." She stated with a passionate spark in her round brown eyes.

Rick looked on in surprise, not expecting her answer.

"Really? Law school? That's amazing, Michonne. Is that always something you wanted to do." He couldn't help but notice her gaze briefly drifted to his lips when he said her name again.

"No." She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. "Its a recent thing. Lately I've noticed innocent people don't always get the justice they deserve." She said in a somewhat bitter tone. She shrugged her shoulders to shake off the unwanted emotions that seemed to haunt her lately.

"I get it. And you're right. I use to be a cop, believe it or not." Rick straightened up and leaned back on the bench. "I've seen terrible thing happen to good people. Things that could have been avoided had they had someone there to protect them or fight for them in the court. I've seen criminals get away with committing awful crimes only because they had a good lawyer backing them up." Rick sighed. The conversation was bringing up memories he'd rather forget.

Michonne didn't say anything else. She watched as his face became tense. His jaw clenching as he shook his head. She knew that feeling. Michonne closed the book that rested in her lap knowing she wouldn't get anymore reading done. She found herself not minding the distraction. Rick lightly chuckled besides her.

"I'm sorry. That was really depressing." He sighed.

"Well, you seem like you have a good head on your shoulders. You're focused and well read." He gestured towards the book in her lap with a small smile on his face.

Michonne tucked one of her locs behind her ears, smiling shyly at the compliment.

"I'm sure you'll reach your goals." He nodded, watching her. She carried herself with so much class, he noticed. She seemed so mature for her age that he could easily forgot he was conversing with a student, if not for her neat school uniform.

"Thanks. I needed to hear that." She quietly admitted. She felt good for the first time in a long time, regardless of how fleeting it would be, and that was thanks to this perfect stranger.

They gazed at one another for a little while, smiling like a pair of idiots.

They proceeded to have a lighter and more relaxing conversation that Michonne purposefully kept centered around Rick and not herself. She learned he had a child. A 10 year old son he named Carl. She quickly noticed Rick didn't mention anything about his wife or if he was married or widowed, so she didn't inquire about it.

The bell's loud shrill soon filled the tranquil silence, indicated the end of lunch. Together they gathered their meager belongings and headed back inside. Before parting their separate ways, Rick gave Michonne's shoulder a gentle and reassuring squeeze. He tilted his head to her, unable to resist his country upbringing, before disappearing into the crowed hallway of the student body.

…...

Michonne's last class was on the second floor so it was a good thing her locker was a few doors down. Walking to her class she ignored the laughs and judgmental looks. This was her normal now, and she refuse to let it break her. There were far worse things in her butchered world than irrelevant teenagers.

Entering the classroom she noticed she was the first to arrive. She chose the window seat as per her usual routine. She sat down with a tired sigh and placed her things on the desk and opened her book figuring she may as well read before class officially started. She was so ready to be done with high school. The halls were loitered with nothing but immaturity and feral hormones.

Hearing another person enter the room she kept her head down just trying to get through the rest of the day.

"Miss Anthony?"

Looking up at the familiar voice her eyes locked with electric blue. Rick smiled and she couldn't resist smiling back. His eyes momentarily drifted to her glossy plumped lips.

"We meet again." He laughed. "Happy to have a goal oriented student in my class for once." She chuckled at his joke, shaking her head at the odds.

Other students began to quickly fill the room. Some glanced at her, discreetly pointing and laughing with their friends. Michonne scoffed and brought her attention back to her book.

After the last warning bell Rick closed the classroom door, his patience for lateness short.

"Hello students. As you all are aware I will be filling in as your new AP English Lit instructor in replacement of Mr. Henry whom is now enjoying retirement. Please call me Mr. Grimes." He wrote his name on the blackboard as many of the female students watched on in fascination.

Michonne closed her book and brought her attention to the front of the class.

Rick walked toward his desk and retrieved a stack of papers sitting by the edge.

"Do I have any helpers in this class?" Rick asked, holding up the stack of papers and waiting for a volunteer to pass them out.

A girl in the first row quickly stood up making her way toward him with a coy smile on her asymmetrical face. She took the stack from him while letting her fingers graze his with a lingering look in her beady eyes before she walked away passing out the papers. Her skirt seemed a lot shorter than the other students and all the caked on makeup wasn't helping her case. Rick couldn't help but think she reminded him of one of those fast girls his Ma use to warn him about. Rick shook his head in slight bewilderment.

Noticing the exchange, Michonne rolled her eyes in amusement, feeling slightly better that she wasn't the only on making a fool out of herself today. She took the paper from Jadis with a small laugh when it finally came her way.

Jadis and her groupies were probably one of the other individuals ostracized at this school besides her. The student body seemed to collectively agreed that Jadis and all of her friends were just too weird to be around. They were often seen picking through the trash cans and had what seemed like a socializing disability.

For the most part the class continued on as normal. Rick gave them an in class assignment that consisted of questions asking about themselves so that he could get to know them better. Michonne felt a huge sense of relief, happy that she wouldn't have to stand in front of the whole class and introduce herself like they were in first grade.

Students grouped together while working on the assignment. Michonne stayed to herself and neatly scrawled down her answers making them brief and simple. She didn't want to get too deep like the other students seemed to be doing.

Rick watched her, aware of the fact that she seemed to be a loner. It was possible she just didn't have friends in this particular class, but then again she also sat alone at lunch, far away from the other students.

He squinted his eyes, observing how everyone seemed to either completely ignore her presence or constantly glance in her direction before whispering secretes to their friends. They'd laugh before shooting her more nasty looks.

Michonne either hadn't noticed or was doing a hell of a job ignoring them. Rick slowly walking around the class with his hands in his pockets trying not to dwell on it, but he was admittedly curious.

Was she a target for some reason? Was she a victim of bullying? Rick couldn't help but feel concerned. The cop in him wanted to get to the bottom of it. He didn't want any student being bullied, especially in his classroom. During their talk earlier she seemed like a nice girl with a clear head. Undeniably he was missing a key piece of information. Maybe he'd ask her about it if he could get her alone. He didn't want to put her on the spot in case something was going on that he was unaware of.

All too soon the final bell rang.

"I want everyone to turn in their paper, regardless if you finished or not. No one will be graded on this assignment. This was purely for my benefit. See you all tomorrow." The students excitedly gathered their belongings and dropped off their paper on the teachers desk before making a haste exit.

"Miss Anthony? Mind staying behind? There's a few things I'd like the discuss with you if you don't mind." Rick raised his voice over the sound of excited teenagers crowding the halls, readying themselves to leave the building.

Michonne stopped on her way out the door, turning around to address her teacher.

"Uh, sorry Mr. Grimes. I have to be somewhere and I can't be late." Michonne's arched brows creased in confusion as to why he'd want to speak with her after class.

"It will just take a moment, I promise." Rick stood in front of her, imploring her to stay. Michonne glanced at the clock above the door and quickly shook her head.

"Sorry. I can't stay. Like I said, I have to be somewhere. My ride is waiting for me." She quickly explained. Rick noticed she kept glancing at the clock every two seconds so he decided to let her go. For now.

He nodded, relenting.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." He conceded, watching her leave through the door.

…...

It wasn't until she was halfway down the stairs that she realized she'd forgotten to grab her handbag from out of her locker. Groaning, Michonne turned around and made her way back upstairs. She walked down the hall at a slightly quickened pace. The halls were nearly empty but she wouldn't allow the panic to set in just yet. Grabbing her bag and slamming her locker closed she hurried to the school parking lot. Rick, having just closed his classroom door with his briefcase in hand quirked his eyebrows as he watched Ms Anthony hurry past him, seemingly unaware of his presence. Already heading in that direction he followed behind her.

Reaching the parking lot he noticed most the students already gone, probably headed to a first day back to school after party. He unlocked his car watching as Michonne got in the front passenger side of a black Mercedes parked by the curb. Rick could make out a somewhat beefy and bald man in the driver seat through the front windshield. The mans facial expression regarding Michonne was not kind. Rick could just barley make out Michonne's hurried and jumbled apology.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I didn't, I tried-"

Rick gasped when he saw the man slap her straight across the face with enough force to make her head turn sharply at an uncomfortable angle. Slowly, Michonne placed her small trembling hand on her bruised cheek, hanging her head down low in a curtain of locs.

Rick was red, his clenched fist in anger as his wide eyes watched on in shock. The black car quickly drove off before he could react, it all happened so fast.

Grinding his clenched teeth, he yanked his car door open and slammed it closed. An uneasy feeling washed over him. A feeling he used to get when he worked on the police force. How could he have been so blind? It was so obvious. Rick went over the conversation about justice he and Michonne had earlier. The way she had been acting...how didn't he see it until now? Though, some things still didn't add up.

Starting up his car Rick decided then and there that he would make it his priority to bring her the justice she badly needed. No man should ever lay their hands on a woman. Michonne was so tiny and she looked so broken. Rick sighed in frustration. He wouldn't let a vile man like that walk away. He will personally make it his business to see to it Michonne never feels an unloving touch again.

…...

A/N: Thanks for checking out my story. Please let me know how you feel about it. I already have the next chapter waiting so let me know if its worth posting! :D


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I know a lot of you are concerned about the age difference (as expected) but trust me :)

I can't tell you anything just yet.

Hang in there, you're going to want to see where this story goes. Thanks for all the support!

Enjoy :)

…...

Michonne walked slowly down the school's hallway as her eyes roamed around the student's god awful art plastered on the walls. Excluding herself, the students had yet to arrive. It was only eight in the morning, exactly thirty minutes before school was due to begin it's long and agonizing day.

She passed a few open doors, catching glimpses of teachers setting up shop in their class room's in preparation for the day's lesson plan.

Reaching her destination, Michonne pushed the bathroom door open and quickly turned the lock behind her as a precautionary measure.

She stood in front of the mirror as she took in her appearance. The deep purple bruise blossoming on her left cheek wasn't exactly subtle, but besides that she looked fine, she thought.

Sighing, she retrieved here makeup pouch from the bag swung across her shoulder. The last thing she wanted to do was suffer through the rest of the school year, forced to listen to updated rumors circulating around the school starring herself. Gently, she applied the concealer on her stinging cheek and used a sponge to blend and smooth out the imperfections.

Hitting her in the face was something he'd typically avoid acting on. But then again, hitting her by any chance was something he would have never done beforehand. Things change, Michonne rationalized, and due to certain events, people change too; for better or for worse.

Finishing up her simple makeup of concealer and powder, she washed her hands and checked her face in the mirror one last time.

Satisfied the bruise wasn't showing through, she made her exit with two minutes left to spare before first bell. As expected, the halls were once again overcrowded with loud and entitled trust found babies who wasted their life away with the selfish delusion that the world revolves around them.

Walking towards homeroom, Michonne's thoughts wandered back to the events of last night.

Even knowing there was a possibility he'd do it, she had still been surprised when it came. In the past, before everything, he'd surprise her with concert tickets and fine gifts. But now, especially after everything, his surprises tended to be hurtful.

But despite everything, Michonne had a clear understanding as to why he's the way he is now, and honestly...she couldn't blame him for it.

…...

Only the second day in and already Michonne had several work assignments due by next Tuesday. Though, admittedly she could use the distraction.

Rounding the corner leading towards the cafeteria, Michonne stumbled back as a heavy body roughly collided with her right shoulder, the impact forcing the book to fling from out of her hold.

"Hey, psycho bitch." A bulky girl chortled, stopping in her tracks after nearly plowing down Michonne's much smaller frame. Her brassy laugh traveled down the vacant hall creating an irritating echo. Michonne shot her an annoyed look, quickly assessing the girls appearance. Based off the girl's build, but more importantly the team jersey she sported, it was clear she captained the schools varsity wrestling team. Though the assessment did little to intimidate Michonne, she could handle her own if need be.

Huffing a tired sigh, Michonne crouched down to retrieve her paperback from the grimy floor. Straightening her posture, she felt a mild strain in her shoulder and a sharp, throbbing pain shooting up and down her right arm. She was not in the mood for this.

"What?" The girl smiled in mockery, noticing Michonne's heated glare. "You gonna do to me what you did to that girl last year? What was her name again?" The rhetorical question was meant to provoke Michonne, she knew that, which is exactly why she didn't react. She was so over the high school drama.

Shooting the girl a dangerous look, Michonne turned and continued her way to the court yard, uninterested in being anyone's entertainment.

"You were a lot scarier last year." The girl scoffed. "I guess they really did tame you while you were locked up in that loony bin, huh?" she cackled as she watched Michonne breeze through the cafeteria doors.

…...

Walking through the grass and heading in the direction of the bench seat, it didn't take long for Michonne to notice him standing there. His hand casually resting in his pocket with a steady gaze trained on her.

Having already been spotted she knew it was too late to back out. She hesitantly proceeded towards the former law enforcer, her eyes traveling the length of his body at a slow pace, once again perplex by his presence. For the second day in a row she pondered why he chose to come here.

Coming to a complete halt, she stood directly in front of her English teacher.

He looked well dressed in his casual work attire. His curly hair was combed back, making his jaw line appear more pronounced.

Biting her lip, she felt her heart do a tiny flutter unexpectedly.

"Mr. Grimes." She greeting, sounding a lot calmer than she actually felt.

"Afternoon, Miss Anthony." Rick tilted his head like a southern cowboy. "How's the day treating you?" Michonne quirked an eyebrow as she noticed his eyes quickly scan across her face.

"As fine as always." Michonne shrugged her good shoulder. "Though, I'm starting to think you have an aversion to the teachers lounge. Either that or no one has told you how to find it. It's inside the building, in case you were lost." She quipped. Still feeling annoyed from her earlier interaction with that Hulk Hogan bitch in the hallway.

Surprise washed over Rick's expression before the corners of his eyes crinkled with amusement.

"Uh," he chuckled, temporarily at a loss for words. "That's a lot of sass, Miss Anthony." His long, thick fingers combed through his silky hair, squinting down at her, fascinated. "But I guess that's fair." He nodded, smiling good-naturedly.

Michonne shrugged with a small smile, drawing attention to her pretty lips. Rick momentarily captivated by the way the gloss made them look more full and succulent. He rubbed at his neck, feeling the skin starting to heat up. It was an innocent observation, really.

"I was actually looking for you." He explained. Her eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Do you mind taking a seat? There's just a few things I'd like to discuss with you, if you don't mind?" He gestured towards the vacant bench.

Slowly nodding her head, she held eye contact as she sat down on the metal bars. Rick followed soon after, taking the free spot besides her.

The fact that he was sitting so close made it impossible not to get a good whiff of his scent. She inhaled what smelled like leather and heady cherry wood. Releasing a shaky sigh, she dropped her eyes to her book, gliding her small fingers across the binding.

Noticing her hands were occupied, Rick glanced down at the object rested in her lap, her skirt sitting higher on her dark thighs due to her sitting position.

"You're already reading it?" His eyes searching her brown orbs. "It's not due to be read until next month."

She glanced down at her paperback, and laughed a light and airy sound.

"I know." She tucked a loc behind her ear. "I've read this months book. Previously. I don't need to reread it in order to complete the assignment. Invisible Man is an unforgettable book, after all." She smirked.

Grinning at her driven personality, his bright eyes gleamed at her in admiration. He wasn't expecting her answer. She had a way of surprising him, he noted. She really was the perfect model student.

"So you're already ahead of the class, huh?" He chuckled.

"That's what I like about you, Michonne." He said, nodding his head as if agreeing with himself. "You seem driven, your focused." There was genuine praise in his voice.

Abashed, Michonne looked away, feeling her heart do that flutter again.

"So," Michonne shifted, feeling his eyes stuck on her frame. She still wasn't used to the kindness he frequently showered her with. But based on the way he was currently making her feel, she wouldn't mind getting used to it again. "You wanted to speak with me? This couldn't wait until class?" She inquired, realizing they didn't have much time until the bell was due to ring.

"No." He huffed a heavy sigh, knowing she wasn't going to like what he had to say. "This ain't something we should discuss in front of your peers." His accent more heavy and serious.

"I don't mean to intrude on your lunch time but I'm not familiar with your schedule. I figured since you won't have a lot of time after class, this was my only opportunity."

With a sinking sense of dread, Michonne realized she had an inkling as to what he might want to discuss with her. She felt her heart rate increasing as a quick panic began to set in. Had someone exposed her already? Perhaps he overheard it in the halls? Was this the moment he'd chastise her for her heinous behavior before ostracizing her, just like everyone else? Momentarily she wondered what version of last November's disaster he heard first.

She knew this happiness wouldn't last.

"That man you got in the car with yesterday after school, was he your father?"

Taken aback, Michonne's wide eyes quickly narrowed into a guarded glare.

"You were watching me." She didn't have to ask, his demeanor was a dead give away. Her grip on the book tightened. Of all the things she expected him to say, this didn't even come close.

"I'm sorry." Rick apologized, noticing her closing herself off. He wanted to do this as gently as possible without making her feel cornered in. "We were headed in the same direction, you didn't notice me. You were close by and I couldn't help but notice what he did."

Michonne remained quiet as she thought about what she should say or if she should say anything at all. Rick understood why this would be a hard conversation for her to have, and admittedly, it was hard for him as well.

"I'm here for you, Michonne." He felt sad and angry for her. He wanted to embrace her, wrap his arms around her so she could feel a comforting touch. He needed her to feel safe with him and let her know she could confide in him. Rick didn't want to risk the chance of making her uncomfortable, so for now he refrained.

"If that's something he makes a habit of doing I need to know. Hearing it from you is the only way I can help you." He tried getting her to look at him, but she avoided his gaze. Rick watched her for a while, knowing he had to be delicate if he were to ever get her to open up to him. Having been on the police force for so long, this was something he was familiar with. He knew the signs.

"You can trust me. I'm not judging you for anything, Michonne." He gently reassured.

He was careful but hesitant as he placed his firm hand on top of her smaller one. His palm warm and heavy as their hands rested on top of the novel in her lap.

When a moment went by and she hadn't pulled away he clasped his hand more firmly around hers, relieved he seemed to be getting through to her.

"We don't have to get anyone else involved who isn't a factor. This can stay between me and you. I can promise you that, Michonne." His thumb gently glided back and forth, caressed her knuckles in a soothing pattern. Her skin soft and smoother than silk.

"I'm with you." His voice filled with sincerity, trying to pour his emotions into her. He wanted her to understand that he was on her side.

Michonne felt her eyes sting, but she refused to let him see her cry. She huffed out a breath of air, trying to rein in her emotions.

Looking up from their joined hands and finding his intense blue gaze, she felt an emotion overcome her that she's never felt before.

"I know." She nodded, feeling grateful for his touch. She'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be comforted, to feel this relaxed by a simple gesture.

God she really needed this.

"But, it's not as bad as it seems." She shook her head. "He's hurting."

Seeing the confusion in Rick's eyes she tried elaborated her statement.

"Yesterday was my fault. I should have been on time, like he asked of me." She uttered, feeling somewhat indifferent. "He's a criminal defense lawyer. The case he's working on keeps getting extended, forcing him to work late hours. He's stressed." She defended.

Rick frowned deeply. _Was she being serious_?

"Michonne."His voice came out firmer than he intended. It was common for victims of abuse to blame themselves for their ill-treatments, but that didn't stop him from feeling vexed. Taking a deep breath to cool his boiling emotions, he tried again in a calmer tone. "You have to know that isn't true. You have to know that his actions aren't your fault." Michonne grimaced and looked away, feeling conflicted.

Rick sighed as memories of yesterday's assault flashed through his mind.

"There's been other incidents like that." He observed. "The fact that there wasn't any hesitation when he-" Rick shook his head in anger, gripping her hand tighter but still mindful to be gentle. "And the fact that he was so bold, attacking you like that, where anyone could have been a witness. I'm afraid to wonder what he does to you behind closed doors."

Michonne's brows knit together at Rick's confession.

"Nothing happened last night." Michonne rushed to reassure, letting him see the truth in her brown eyes. "Soon as we got home he locked himself in his office. Probably took a bottle of bourbon with him and passed out." She said, as if it were acceptable behavior.

He noticed her eyes were a little red, though there was no evidence of tears.

"It may not of happened last night, but there have been times when he has." Based off of the evidence he's gathered, Rick knew that much to be true.

After a while, Michonne sighed, nodding in confirmation.

"You don't know the whole story." She added, not wanting him to have any wrong ideas about the situation.

"Then tell me." Rick gently implored. "No matter what the story is, I'm not going to abandon you, Michonne. I'm here for you. Nothing's going to change that." He was desperate to get her to see his truth. Their eyes bore into each others as his thumb continued its gentle strokes across her knuckles.

Though, before Michonne could confide in him, the sound of the bell interrupted their intense moment.

"Okay." Michonne agreed. "Another time." Nodding, he gave her hand a final reassuring squeeze before letting her go.

Together they walked back inside the building at an even pace. Needing to retrieve materials from her locker before class, they parted ways in the crowded hallway.

…...

"Why are we going to spend so much time on Epics?" A student in the middle row interrupted Rick's lecture, holding up the syllabus.

Rick stopped mid sentence, turning to address the disruption.

"Next time raise your hand, Mr. Rhee." Rick lightly reprimanded. Glen looked sheepish and murmured a quiet apology.

"I think the quick answer anthropologist have pointed out to us is that we are the stories that we tell." Rick addressed his class while standing in front of the chalk-dusted blackboard. "We are the stories we interpret, and we're the stories that we discard as well. Any civilization and any culture has a series of stories that it tells." He slowed down, noticing students taking notes.

"And for those of us in the western literacy traditions, those stories are built around Epics." Rick turned, writing the word on the blackboard. "Now, can someone give me an example of an epic hero?"

"Gilgamesh."

"Good one, Mr. Porter." Rick wrote the character's name on the board.

"Anyone else?" Class continued on as normal. Rick didn't look at her once during class, wanting to give her a little space in case she needed it. Both acted as if nothing ever transpired between them nearly forty minutes ago.

Unsurprisingly, she didn't participate in class discussion. Though, she did take notes and kept her attention on the lecture, for the most part.

…...

"I will be collecting the homework first thing in class tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your evening." Rick raised his voice over the bell as the entire student body flocked into the halls, most likely getting ready to make bad decisions.

Rick put papers away as his classroom quickly emptied.

"Mr. Grimes."

His head jerked up in surprise, not expecting her to still be in his class after the bell.

"Miss Anthony." He looked around, making sure they were alone. "Is everything alright?" Noticing she wasn't in a hurry today.

"Yeah." She walked up to his desk where he stood behind it with a few chalk marks on his shirt. "He's not coming today." Michonne explained, seeing his worried expression.

"Why? Because of yesterday?" Rick frowned, wondering the level of her father's cruelty.

"It's not a big deal. I live near by so it's not much of a walk." She brushed off.

"We can have that talk now, if you're sure you want to hear it." Michonne said with confidence. And it was true, the more she thought about it, the more she realized she didn't want to hold on to her secret anymore. She wanted to share it with the one person who actually wanted to hear the story from her, rather than trust the rumors.

"I want to try trusting you." She added. Maybe if she confided in someone she could trust, her life wouldn't feel as bleak anymore.

For a second Rick didn't know what to do with the information. First he felt anger, disturbed that her father could be so unloving, but at the same time he was relieved Michonne was taking steps in the right direction by allowing him to help her. And regardless of his conflicting emotions, he felt a smile tugging at his his lips, happy she was finally letting him in.

"Go get your things. We'll talk about it on the way to your place. Meet me out front." Rick informed. He watched, amused as her pretty brown eyes lit up in surprise.

Since they were going to discuss such a sensitive subject he wanted to do it in a more private setting, knowing she'd feel less inclined to speak as freely as she needed while still on school grounds.

"Thanks." She uttered appreciatively, rewarding him with one of those dazzling smiles he liked so much.

Rick watched her leave until she disappeared around the corner.

He finished straightening up his classroom before making his way towards the parking lot. It didn't take long for them to meet up and make their way over to his parked Hyundai.

Activated the lock mechanism with his remote, he opened his side and waited for Michonne to do the same. He didn't want to make her feel rushed. Michonne hesitated for a split second. It wasn't that she was afraid, she just never imagined she'd be in a situation requiring her to get in her teacher's car.

Reaching a final decision, she took a seat and watched as Rick soon did the same. Closing their door around the same time, Michonne sat back in the large comfortable chair. She couldn't help but notice his scent was a lot stronger in the more limited space.

Figuring she might be hot in his sun-baked car, Rick cranked the a/c to help cool her nerves. Michonne sighed in gratitude as a pleasantly cool breeze gently blew in her face.

"Okay," She straightened, easily finding her teacher's gaze. "It's a bit of a long story but it's best if I start from the beginning."

…...

A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read my story :) Please let me know what you think! I appreciate every last single review you guys take the time to write me. I also love criticism so don't be shy!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: The tea is hot

Enjoy!

…...

Michonne exhaled an uneven breath as she leaned back into the slightly warm car seat. Rick sat beside her on the driver's side, patiently waited for her to start when she felt ready.

"Before all this I thought I had normal family. My mom was caring enough and my dad seemed like he had everything he could ever want in life. They had the perfect marriage and they were great parents even though my mom worked overseas a lot. We were all happy, so I thought." She shook her head, knowing recounting the story was going to make her emotional over it.

"It all started about five years ago, towards the end of summer vacation. My boyfriend at the time took me out on a date so we could have one last good ounce of freedom before the start of our senior year. He took me to this small pop up carnival out of town. I ended up having the time of my life. And that was the very last time I can remember feeling genuine happiness." Michonne kept her eyes on the tinted window shield, not having the courage to face Rick just yet.

"When I had gotten home that night I walked through the door and immediately overheard my parents yelling at each other. I instantly knew something was wrong. They would have their normal bickering juts like any other couple, but it never escalated into a full on screaming match, not until that nigh. Overhearing what they had been arguing about changed my life completely. I remember going upstairs to confront them and we all had a big argument that lasted through the night it seemed."

"My dad somehow found out my mom had been having an ongoing affair. She'd been cheating on him with the same guy for quite some time." Michonne sniffled, eyes burning with unshed tears." Rick quietly listened, observing how reliving the moment was affecting her. He didn't want to interrupt her, knowing she needed to get this off her chest.

"But her cheating on him wasn't the worst part." She said bitterly. "It turns out she also had a child with that man, and all this time she'd kept it a secret from us. My dad had no way of knowing the baby wasn't his, he had no reason to suspect otherwise. There were no obvious signs of infidelity, from what I can remember." Michonne quickly whiped away a single tear running down her cheek. "I'm the product of an affair."

"Charles isn't my biological father. She lied to the both of us for all those years, so I began to wonder; if she were capable of holding on to such a big secret for so long, what else could she be lying about? I felt like I didn't even know her anymore. I just couldn't trust her after that."

"I had thought it best to take my senior year off. The way I was at the time, I wasn't in the right mind set to go back to school just yet. I wouldn't have been focused enough to get the grades I needed for a scholarship. So I spent the school year at home trying to deal with the mess my mom made of our family. I could tell Charles still loved her, but neither of us could forgive her. When the school year came to an end and things hadn't gotten any better my mom just up and left. She said she felt it was best if she weren't around for a little while. Her excuse being she felt we needed space from her to clear our heads. We never asked her where she was going to stay."

"Things with Charles took an awful turn and we grew distant. He had become depressed. Started drinking a lot to numb the pain I guess, so I decided to spend more time with my boyfriend as a distraction. When I watched all my friends graduate senior year without me, I just felt so much emptiness and hatred. I hated my mom for robbing me of what was supposed to be some of the best memories of my life."

"I spend the summer in such a bad mind frame and things weren't going too well with my boyfriend, Mike. He was starting freshmen year of college soon and I was suppose to be there with him. He was the only person I told about my situation with my parents, so it hurt when he became distant. A few months before the new school year, Charles got a call from the police station. They had identified my mothers body from a car wreckage in Guatemala, they were also able to identify the man she was with. I couldn't even be sad about the news that my mom had passed away, I just kept thinking about how she'd abandoned her family to continue her affair with that man, despite everything. The man she died with was my biological dad, a stranger I never met and a stranger that had no interest in meeting me. I didn't know him, so not mourning him was easy. I just struggled with my mom, I didn't know how to properly mourn her because I hated her. I just felt so much disappointment and betrayal but I still loved her to an extent and I didn't know how to deal with it all. I was a wreck, so I took another year off school, and they allowed it. By that time I was nineteen, I was stuck at home dealing with the mess my mother left behind. For Charles, after everything that happened with his wife, and me, plus the stress of his demanding job...he snapped. He started to take his pain out on me and I allowed it."

"I still didn't feel ready to go back to school the following year but I went anyways. I wanted to try and put everything behind me. The first few months were going fine enough. It wasn't until November when everything spiraled out of control again."

"Some girl came up to me in the halls bragging about how she'd stolen my boyfriend, Mike, while I was taking those years off trying to heal. She showed me pictures and text conversations they'd been having. It had reminded me of everything my mom had done and I felt so betrayed all over again. I didn't want to put school off another year. I didn't want my mom to have that control over me anymore, so I filled up a few bottles of my dad's hard liquor and took them the school with me in my bag. I just drank through the entire school day, trying to cope with everything the same way Charles tried numbing the pain."

"The more I drank that day, the more I kept thinking about the situation with my mom, with Charles, and with Mike. Everything just felt so out of control. When I saw the girl who'd confronted me about Mike, in that moment she reminded me so much of what my mom had done. I don't know, I just lost it. I wanted her to hurt like I was hurting, so I attacked her. I wanted to take my problems out on someone, which was awful of me, I know. Someone had to pull me off of her. She was such a bloody mess. But that wasn't enough for me, I was still so angry. I trashed the schools property and broke a few windows."

"I was expelled that November. Twenty years old and expelled from high school. Everything in my life was going way down hill." Michonne shook her head in shame. "Charles was forced to tell the school, and the girls mom of our private home situation and was able to get them to drop the charges. They had come up with an agreement that if I attend therapy sessions at an clinical facility and received a clean bill of health before the beginning of the next school year, I'd be welcomed back to redo my senior year. Charles thought it best to send me to King County so I could be far away from people he knew, so I wouldn't embarrass him anymore. He's already been through so much."

"Therapy did help. I spent the entire month from December to July in that small town until I was released. I still had things to work through but I was able to deal with it in a healthier way. I had made considerable progress in moving forward with my life, but Charles hadn't. When I was sent back home he was even worse than before. It didn't help that his reputation had been ruined partly because of me and partly due to his increasing drinking addiction. He took it out on me and I told myself I deserved it for acting so impulsive that day at school. I'm so ashamed of it all."

"When August rolled around and I turned twenty one, I promised myself that no matter what I was dealing with at home with Charles, I wasn't going to allow it to hold me back anymore."

"That's why the students laugh and gossip about me. Besides the situation with my family, they all know everything that happened. From their point of view I'm the psycho bitch who's too old for high school and who trashed the place after beating up an innocent girl." Michonne sighed tiredly. "But this school year will be my last. I'm going to graduate without anymore distractions. I at least owe that to myself. That's the whole truth. My life is a mess and I'll understand if you want to take back those things you said earlier. Non of what I did is justifiable."

Rick managed to keep the astonishment off his face, not wanting her to think he had been judging her. The expected shock aside, he didn't see a reason to judge her for any of it.

"Michonne." Rick spoke softly, the only other sound in the car coming from the a/c mounted on the dash. He noticed she was still staring out the one-way window, gripping the end of her skirt in a tight fist as if readying herself to be reprimanded.

"Michonne." He tried again, gently placing his hand on top of hers, waiting for her fingers to relax. Hesitantly she met his inquiring gaze, her eyes red and slightly puffy.

"You're so strong. You've been dealt a bad hand in life and it's put you through so much in such a short amount of time. I can't imagine the amount of pain you're feel. But looking at you from an outsiders perspective, you're so brilliant and so determined. So many obstacles have been in your way and you're still standing." He looked at her in awe and admiration. "You're still fighting to reach your goals despite everything. You're an incredible woman, Michonne. Not a lot of people would be able to come out of that still intact. I admire you for so many different reasons." He reassured, rubbing her knuckles in a soothing pattern.

"Yeah, you made some rash choices, but I'm not faulting you for that. There's not one person I know without faults. We get to come back from our mistakes, and you've done such a remarkable job getting to where you are now. None of what you had to go through was your fault. No matter how you reacted to a situation so beyond your control, it doesn't give him the right to lay a single hand on you. You don't deserve any of the horrible thangs that's happened to you" Rick firmly stated, reaching out to gently brush a stray tear from her round cheek.

"Hey." He tilted her chin slightly with his index finger, gently getting her to meet his gaze.

"Don't blame yourself and please don't make excuses for Charles's behavior. I'm not judging you and I'm not taking back what I've already told you. I'm here for you, and I'm going to help you get through the rest. I'm in this with you, Michonne." He said, gently stroking the bruise on her cheek, reassuring her that he wasn't going anywhere.

Michonne felt her eyes well up before she could stop them. Rick put a comforting arm around her, hugging her to him from the side. He just held her as she cried into his chest, letting her take all the time she needed.

…...

A quick ten minutes later Rick pulled up to her house after learning the address. Michonne stared up at the house that once held so may precious memories but now it was just another reminder of the hell she's been through.

"I was gonna head to this cafe on the edge of town, found it a few weeks ago. The food there is light but it's pretty good. My treat, if you're interested." Rick offered, noticing her hesitation. He understood why she didn't want to be around her illegitimate father at the moment.

"I'd love that." Michonne smiled in appreciation. "Do you mind if I go clean myself up a bit first? I'll make it fast." She promised.

"Sure, take all the time you need. I'll still be here." He reassured.

A few minutes later Rick spotted Michonne headed in his direction. It took him a moment to fully comprehend what he was seeing. She'd freshened up her makeup and changed out of her school uniform, no longer resembling the high school girl he was with a moment ago. She looked her age in her attire. Rick's eyes started from the bottom, first noticing her white wedge sandals. They made her smooth dark legs look even longer. Next he noticed her flowy sundress that came up to mid thigh. She should be in college having the time of her life. Rick felt a strong pang of sadness for again, aware of how far she's been set back in life. But he knew she'd eventually make a strong comeback.

"Okay, I'm all ready." she said, excitement in her voice. "Sorry I took so long." she breathed a she closed the car door after her. Rick noticed she put her locs up in a high ponytail, her slender neck on full display with a simple necklace resting at her collarbones. Briefly he wondered if it would be inappropriate to compliment her. He couldn't lie to himself, he knew he found her quite attractive, but that didn't mean he'd ever act on his feelings. He wasn't interested in taking advantage of her. She'd been through so much, he genuinely wanted to help where he could.

"You were quicker than I thought you'd be." Rick brushed off. "I think you're going to like the place I'm taking you." Rick smirked confidently, starting up the engine.

…...

Twenty minutes later they reached their destination.

"Wow." Michonne smiled, unable to hide her pleasant surprise when they pulled up to a cute little book cafe. Rick chuckled at her excited expression, putting the car in park.

He held the heavy cafe door open for her as they walked inside the book clattered shop. He walked her up to the second level where a row of small round tables stood spaced apart in front of colorful couches and funky designed chairs. The walls were lined with various novels that reached the ceiling. They stopped at a balcony seat overlooking the second level below, forgoing the couch seating.

"Go ahead and make yourself comfortable." He pulled out a chair for. "I'm going to go order for us, unless you'd rather pick something out yourself?" He asked, not wanting to come off as controlling.

"I trust you with my order." She shook her head, giving him that smile he loved so much. Rick smiled, happy to see her in better spirits.

"How do you take your coffee?"

"I don't. I'm a tea drinker. I'll take any kind they have."

Rick chuckled as he left to place their order. Michonne took in her surroundings, she was in love with the colorful décor. All her life she lived in Alexandra and she had no idea this place even existed. It didn't take long for Rick return with their beverages, taking the vacant seat across from her while informing her of their five minute wait time until their food was due to arrive.

"I just love this place," Michonne gushed as Rick placed the large mug of hot tea in front of her. "I'm starting to realize you have great taste, Mr. Grimes." She laughed.

"You can call me Rick, at least off school grounds." He chuckled. "I think you've earned the right, considering the circumstances."

Michonne smiled, feeling that pleasant fluttering sensation in her chest.

"Rick." She nodded. Rick watched her, amused.

"Try the tea." He encouraged, taking a small sip of his black coffee. She briefly smelled the sweet aroma before giving it a few sips.

"Spice chai." She concluded. "Definitely a good choice. I wonder how they made it so creamy here." Michonne moaned, savoring the rich cardamon and peppercorn. "The coffee shop near the high school never makes my tea orders this fancy."

"Glade you're enjoying it." Rick sat back, the tips of his ears turning red listening to the sounds coming from her mouth.

"Do you always make a habit of ordering tea at coffee shops?" He joked.

"I guess it's a bad habit." She laughed, her eyes bright and beautiful. Rick loved seeing the look of happiness on her face, and being happy was all he wanted for her.

Soon after that the server arrived with their order. She carefully placed the food on the table receiving thanks from the pair before making her exit.

"Wow! I'm starving. Everything looks so good." Michonne eyes hungrily took in the spread in front of her. He'd ordered them what appeared to be bagel sandwiches loaded with cream cheese, eggs, and ham. There was also something under a small tray lid, but she'd inquire about that later.

"Let's see if the food lives up to the hype." She smirked. Rick winked at her with confidence.

It wasn't until a few bites later Michonne was able to speak again.

"Well, it definitely wouldn't hurt to come back again. That way I can slowly work my way through the entire menu, just to be sure I like the food here." She joked, knowing Rick could see through her pretense.

Rick laughed, entertained by her humor.

"So, why are your car windows so tinted? Isn't that illegal?" She asked, taking a sip of her tea.

"It was mandatory during my time on the force. I didn't want to take any chances in case anyone noticed or targeted me while carpooling my son and his friends around after soccer practice."

"That's a dangerous job, officer Grimes." She chastised lightly, her tone more flirty than she meant

for.

"It had its rewards." His eyes twinkled, taking in her flushed face. After a while he leaned back, noticing how close they'd been leaning over the small rounded table between them.

As they ate and conversed they found out a lot more about each other. They talked about everything from the first book they'd ever read all the way to their shared political views.

Rick found himself truly enjoying Michonne's company, perhaps more than he should. Hanging out with students outside of school hours wasn't something he'd ever done, never felt the need or desire to. Michonne was a special case, though. Her situation required for them to built trust and familiarity between them. He didn't feel like he was having a personal conversation with a high school student, and she didn't resemble one. Though, he knew she technically was, so he kept things innocent and friendly.

"The portion size of the desserts here are pretty mammoth sized so I thought we'd just share this." Rick uncovered the pastry from underneath the tray lid revealing a glistening cinnamon roll cake.

Michonne looked at him like he hung the moon, unable to hide the glee in her expression. If a cinnamon cake was all he needed to make her look at him like that, he'd buy her one as often as she wanted.

…...

"I'm sorry for bringing you back so late. The time just kind of flew by." Rick apologized as they pulled up to her house, noticing the late hour."You won't get in any trouble, will you?" He typically wasn't so careless, but being with Michonne tonight had felt so natural. Things were going really good and conversation between them flowed smoothly, before he knew it a glance at her phone told them it was nearly nine.

"Nah." She brushed off. "Once I turned nineteen Charles pretty much stop caring about my whereabouts or whenever I decide to come home. As long as I'm not out causing trouble for him, he couldn't be bothered." She shrugged. Seeing the frown forming on Rick's hard face she decided to change topics.

"Thanks for getting me away from here for a little while. I had a lot of fun, but next time I'm paying the check." She paused, quickly feeling embarrassment as soon as the words left her lips, completely aware of the implications she made.

"Not that there will be a next time...with you." She rushed, awkwardly. Rick tilted his head, noticing how nervous she suddenly appeared.

"Here, I'll put my number in your phone." Rick gestured for her device. Michonne handed it him without hesitation, surprise by his request.

"If anything were to happen again between you and Charles, please don't hesitate to call me." He said, saving his number in her contacts before handing it back to her.

"Also, If you want to get away from here for a while, I'll be more than happy to take you wherever it is you want to go. Within Alexandria of course." He added smiling, taking her hand in a reassuring squeeze.

Dropping her gaze she focused her sight on his hand on top of hers, studying how much bigger his palm was than hers. She could see a few thick veins protruding form the back of his hand, and a trail of dark hair dusted up his thick fingers.

"Thanks for everything today, Rick. It feels nice being able to trust someone again." She said quietly, squeezing his hand in gratitude before letting it go.

Rick watched her safely walk into her house before finally pulling away from the curb. Taking out his phone and taping on a familiar contact from his police days, he waited for the other end to pick up.

"Rick Grimes? Shit man, it's been fucking ages since I've heard from you. How's it going?!" The loud voice boomed.

"Hey Abe, everything's fine. Listen, I need a favor. Send me any information you can find on a widowed African American male by the name of Charles Anthony, located in Alexandria. Consider him a person of interest."

…...

A/N: Writing is woooork, ya'll. If you're enjoying the story please leave a REVIEW. It's easier to continue when I know how you guys are feeling about it :)


	4. Chapter 4

…...

A sudden loud noise startled Michonne awake from a disturbing dream. Disoriented and groggy, she slowly set up in bed peering through the darkness within her room in a useless attempt to gather her bearings. Squinting towards the bright digital clock sitting on her purple night stand, she let out a tired breath noticing the early hour. It was already five in the morning, only three hours before school and she had spent more than half the night awake with only her anxieties to keep her company.

She was thankful today was Friday because for most people Friday meant the end of the week, and the end of the week meant the beginning of her weekend where she could relax and take a break from the scathing public eye. The entire week had been emotionally draining for her. _It wasn't all bad though._ She smiled. Rick made sure of that.

After everything that happened Tuesday he spent the rest of the week practically catering to her most basic needs. On Wednesday he started by bringing her lunch and eating with her in the courtyard. When Michonne firmly protested to his gesture he worked to quickly reassure her that providing a meal for her wasn't a burden on him. He'd be damned if he just sat back and did nothing while knowing she didn't have any money to feed herself. After she accepted the new arrangement their borderline argument was worth it since he got to witness her pretty face light up in pure delight as she devoured the meal he'd had delivered just for her. By Thursday he'd insisted he be the one to take her home everyday after school, convincing her she needed to create distance between herself and Charles as much as possible until further notice. He'd even gotten her to open up to him and talk about herself on a more personal level. He wanted to know all the things that made her happy. It was simple enough, and he was easy to talk to. Those moments with Rick really did make her week more bearable.

She jumped, startled by another loud crash coming from he first level. _What is going on?_ Michonne furrowed her brows, hearing another crash of what sounded like shattering glass. Hesitantly she got out of bed and crept towards her closed bedroom door. Grabbing onto the handle she took a deep calming breath before swinging the door open with a strong pretense of bravery she didn't possess. The door groaned a low sounding creak as light from the second level flooded the end of the hallway.

Venturing from the warmth and relative safety of her room she walked barefoot down the hardwood hall headed towards the top of the staircase. At this range she could clearly make out the sound of Charles cursing through heavy angry mumbles.

She didn't jump this time when another loud shatter interrupted the night's silence. Michonne's brows creased in concern. No matter how much he abused her, she just couldn't bring herself to hate him completely, and despite everything she didn't like seeing him hurt. Michonne sighed in annoyance. Her heart was too big for her own good.

Slowly making her way down the stairs she walked on the balls of her feet to keep quiet as she stepped over a floorboard that had an annoying tendency of creaking loudly.

Rounding the corner she stood in the entryway to the large living room. Charles stood brooding over the decorative fireplace with blood periodically dripping from his clenched fist.

"Charles." Michonne said quietly, shaking her head in pity. She was the only one who understood just how deep his pain went. He struggled more and more every single day, trying to cope with his new reality without the proper guidance.

His heavy shoes crushed the stray glass surrounding his feet as he staggered and turned in her direction. Michonne immediately knew he was drunk, she could smell the liquor from several feet away.

"I lost the case." He slurred, a perturbed look etched onto his face.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I know how hard you were working o-"

"How long have you known?" He cut her off, squinting at her on unsteady feet.

"What?" Her brows scrunched in confusion.

"How long have you've known Sherry was cheating on me?" He glared in anger, the alcohol consumption making him irrational.

"I-"

"You both were playing a game with me this entire time. Laughing at me behind my back like I was some fucking joke." He growled in a low voice, slowly advancing on her. "I can tell you're just like her, just like your deceitful whore of a mother. That's probably why Mike left you. He's lucky he got away before it was too late." He sneered in her face hatefully, causing Michonne to look at him with a hurtful expression.

"I'm sorry for what she did and I'm sorry she lied. But that's all I'm apologizing for. We were both lied to. We have to deal with it together so her actions won't tear us apart." She rationalized with a steady voice. "Hating one another isn't the way forward. I still love you."

For a fleeting moment Michonne witness Charles expression softening after a few moments as if her words were getting through to him. He stared at her for a while with a strong stench of alcohol exuding from him.

"You know, your mother use to look me in the eyes with that same look and she still lied straight to my face." He said before roughly shoving her back against the wall near the threshold. Michonne gritted her teeth, trying to pry his hands off of her. She knew he wouldn't see reason while in this state of mind.

"You knew about it. Admit the truth!" His beefy fingers dug into her shoulders as he repeatedly slammed her back against the solid wall. Michonne whimpered when the back of her head jerked back and collided with the hard plastic thermostat mounted on the wall, her face twisted up in pain as her vision briefly went black. He pushed her down on the floor making her land on her side and shoulder at an odd angle. She felt the wind knock out of her and yelped in pain as he quickly kicked her in the ribs before she could recover. She turned, trying to protect herself against his assault.

"Please stop!" Michonne coughed as his feet rapidly landed blows to her stomach instead. She tried balling herself in a fetal position as he continued stomping on her weaker frame while she cried in pain on the floor. Suddenly feelings the attack stop, She opened her watery eyes and gasped loudly as Charles had bent down and tightly wrapped his bulky fingers around her small neck. He looked her in the eyes as he tightened his hold, an unreadable look on his stoic face. Michonne uselessly clawed at his hands to no affect as she looked at him in distress. Through blurry vision Michonne panicked as she began feeling light headed, not able to get any air in her lungs anymore. She sporadically flailed her limbs and finally managed to knee him hard in the balls.

He screamed in agony and released his hold on her. Michonne gasped for air, choking on her sobs as she briefly watched Charles wither around on the floor yelling out obscenities as he cupped his balls with a tortured expression.

Her head felt fuzzy as she scrambled up the stairs in a panicked fright, her posture hunched over as she gingerly cradled her throbbing side with an agonized expression on her pinched face. She quickly reached her room and slammed the door behind her, locking it with trembling fingers. She stood there for a five long minutes with wide eyes as she listened for any approaching sounds. After hearing only silence she sighed in relief. Gritting her teeth she carefully lowered herself to the ground and sat with her back against the door. She shuddered, feeling the adrenaline leave her body and replace it with pure exhaustion. She didn't have an strength left to move, so she didn't.

Everything hurt.

With an unfocused look in her watery eyes she sat there alone with an unreadable expression on her face. Her mind taking her to dark places as a depression set in. Her lips trembled, unable to hold the tears back she let it out and quietly cried for a long while, her hard sobbed rattling her battered body making it hurt even more. She hating the feeling of weakness. She hated being helpless and broken. Her throat grew raw and before she knew it she'd cried herself to asleep in a fetal position on the floor.

…...

Hearing her alarm going off she groaned in annoyance realizing she'd only slept for an hour. With a grimace she gingerly sat up on the floor and immediately pain rocked her whole body making her cry out with a sore dry throat. Her muscles were beyond stiff and sensitive to the touch. She felt sharp pains in her ribs and a pounding in her temple every time she inhaled too hard.

She felt like shit.

Once she made it to her bathroom she took a hot shower in hopes of easing her sore muscles, not having any painkillers on her. She considered wearing a bra like usual but attempting to put it on proved to be too painful after she weakly floundered a bit, trying to get her arm through the strap. Forgoing the bra she threw it on her bed and put on a clean white button down, trying not to cry in frustration as the stiff fabric rubbed against her back with every move she made. As she bent down to put on her shoes an uncomfortably sharp pain zapped up and down her spine. Squeezing her eyes shut she managed through it until the job was done.

She took it easy on the stairs, taking them one at a time to minimize the pull on her ribs. She knew Charles wouldn't be home. He never showed his face once the alcohol wore off and he'd remember what he'd done. She grabbed a cold water bottle from the fridge and quickly swallowed all of its contents. Noticing their caregiver recently stocked the pantry she also grabbed a granola bar before exiting the silent house to begin her agonizing walk.

…...

Walking to school that morning had been a slow process but she'd made it within enough time to spare before first bell. Michonne hoped she didn't look as haggard as she felt, but at least there wasn't a single visible bruise to cover up this time around. The school day was a complete blur as she kept her head down and tried to get trough the day without any incidents. Walking down the crowded halls she avoided leaning on one side more than the other even though her body protested with every excruciating step.

She didn't think she could face Rick just yet, so she skipped lunch altogether and secluded herself at a small table in the corner of the school library. The sleep she hadn't been able to get last night came crashing into her all at once causing her to yawn with a dizzying head rush. She laid her head down, grimacing at the strain the movement put on her beaten back and managed to quickly doze off.

She dreamed of Rick. He was looking down at her in disappointment, demanding to know why she'd been so weak and failed to defend herself. Shaking his head with cold blue eyes he turned and began walking away. When Michonne tried chasing after him she could only move at a snail's pace no matter how hard she tried running after his quickly disappearing form. She screamed his name over and over again, telling him she didn't want him to abandon her. She couldn't stand to lose him too.

Startled awake by the loud school bell, she frantically looked around the empty library in brief confusion. Gathering her bearing she sighed tiredly and stood with a small groan of pain and made her way to the bathroom. Fixing her appearance as much as she could before Rick's class, she ignored the other girls as they snickered together in a small group beside her.

After she was satisfied she made a quick detour to her locker, needing her thick English textbook Rick encouraged them to bring for extra credit points since others had such a hard time remembering to bring theirs. As she was opening her locker a tall male senior come up to her on her right side uninvited.

"Hey, you're Michonne, right?" He smirked, putting his hands in his pockets as he openly looked her up and down with desire in his eyes. Michonne ignored him, she wasn't in the mood for conversation or his leering antics. She was in an awful mood and really didn't want to be bothered with anyone or anything besides Rick at the moment. She really needed to speak with him.

"I'm not interested." She sighed when she realized he was still talking to her.

"Come on." He persisted. "I've heard the rumors. You're a free agent, right? And a major slut too." He chuckled, his eyes focused on her long legs. "I can deal with that, that's what condoms are for. I'm just trying to get my di-"

"She said she's not interested, Randall." Glenn interrupted, coming up to stand in Randall's face with an unimpressed look.

"You can have her after I'm done." Randall scoffed, annoyed by the interruption.

Michonne blocked out their argument and slipped away unnoticed once she'd gotten what she needed.

With her head down she entered her last class with the rest of the students and swiftly found her vacant window seat. She didn't look at Rick once, opting to put her head down instead as she felt the pull of sleep calling her. She resist it though, not wanting to have another nightmare in case she'd wake up crying in fright. _I'm so weak_.

She listened to the soothing sound of Rick's voice as he lectured and smiled for the first time that day. Just being in his presence was enough to somewhat relax her tense posture. She managed to stay awake but kept her head on the English book on her desk as she looked out the window and enviously watched the birds flying away, free to do whatever they pleased.

She didn't notice the worried looks she received from not only Rick, but Glenn as well, throughout the entire class period.

…...

As the final bell rang to dismiss them, Michonne stayed in her seat deep in thought as she waited for the other students to clear out. They gathered their belongings and loudly chattered weekend plans with one another as they rushed out of the room in large groups. Glenn glanced in Michonne's direction, noticing she stayed unmoving with a focused look on her pretty face. Following her line of vision to Mr. Grimes who also had his intense stare locked on hers. He quickly glanced back and forth between them unnoticed, quirking his brow at their stand off in curiosity. He'd been building up the courage to talk to Michonne all week but he found himself intimidated by her, and he'd always lose his nerves at the last minute. Figuring today wouldn't be the day either, he sighed sheepishly in disappointment and left with the last of the class. He nodded to Mrs. Anderson on the way out as they passed each other through the threshold.

"Lovely afternoon, Mr. Grimes!" Jessie's unexpected and overly enthusiastic greeting temporarily tore Rick's and Michonne's eyes apart in annoyance.

"Mrs. Anderson." He nodded, inwardly sighing. He'd been worried sick about Michonne all day and his chance to finally speak with her was being interrupted. It was unexpected not seeing her during lunch at their usual spot. He was worried if he'd done something to upset her.

"I wanted to know how your first week here went. I hardly see you around the school except in passing." She chuckled somewhat shyly, twiddling her fingers in front of her ankle length skirt. Rick quirked a brow, exasperated. He knew Jessie meant well, but he really just wasn't in the mood to speak with anyone other than Michonne. Her behavior today was unusual and he needed to speak with her to make sure she was alright. That was the only thing on his mind at the moment.

Hearing a worn out sigh, both Jessie and Rick shifted their attention to Michonne who was now standing by her desk gathering her things to leave.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were still helping a student." Jessie looked towards Rick with an uneasy expression.

"It's fine. I was just leaving." She murmured as she began to make her way towards the door.

"No." Rick instantly straightened at the news, instinctively taking a few steps in her direction before stopping himself from blocking her exit. "Please stay, Miss Anthony. It's urgent I speak with you." His tone serious, stopping Michonne in her tracks.

"Please don't tell me she's already done something to get herself in trouble?" Jessie shook her head in disappointment, placing her hands on her flat hips while giving Michonne a hard stare. "Miss Anthony, we expect you on your best behavior this year. If you're already in here causing problems for Mr. Grimes I will be reporting you to principle Johns and have you-"

"Jessie!" Rick snapped, losing patience. Jessie's eye widen as she looked at Rick in surprise.

"You're out of line walking into _my_ classroom and wrongfully threatening _my_ student." He cocked his head at her, giving her a hard look.

"Oh! I'm-I'm sorry, it's just.." She twiddled her fingers, visibly uncomfortable. "Well you're still new here so you probably don't know about Miss Anthony's behavior issues." She quickly shot Michonne an annoyed look. Michonne resisted rolling her eyes, debating if she should just leave after all.

"I'm more interested in the woman she is now. We've all made mistakes in our past and there's no sense in holding it over her head. What happened, happened. Time to let it go, Jessie."

"Mr. Grimes it wasn't my intention to upset you I was just-"

"You can give Miss Anthony a formal apology on Monday, but for now I'm a little short on time and I need to discuss matters with her alone." Rick could feel himself getting worked up. He was sick of seeing Michonne getting the short end of the stick. He didn't have time for anyone who was part of that problem.

"Yes, you're right. I apologize. It's been a busy week. We'll talk Monday, perhaps over lunch? Enjoy the weekend you two." She smiled shyly at Rick before taking her exit.

"I'm sorry about that." Rick shook his head, sighing in displeasure. "I'm glad you stayed. You've been avoiding me today." He frowned, noticing her unusual behavior since she walked into his classroom today without so much as a glance in his direction. She looked great as usual but it was obvious something was really bothering her. Because of that he'd allowed her to keep her head down on her desk in what appeared to be a nap without calling her out on it. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach he clenched his fist with a sudden urge to punch Charles in his throat. He'd hurt her again, it would explain her behavior. But he had to make sure his assumptions were correct before he did anything rash.

"Let's get going." he said gently, relieved when she began walking without protest. As he closely followed beside her he felt a strong urge to wrap a comforting arm around her but fought against it knowing it wasn't a good idea while still on school grounds.

…...

Rick drove to her house with tension in his shoulders, glancing over at a quiet Michonne periodically. She had her head resting against the window, glazed over eyes looking ahead at nothing. Rick gripped the steering wheel in clenched hands, beyond worried at this point.

Once they reached their destination he pulled up to the curb in front of her house, throwing the car into park. He quickly took her hand in his, unable to hold back anymore. He wanted to offer her as much comfort a he could. Michonne sighed deeply, feeling comforted by his warm touch. She clutched onto his hand tighter like a security blanket, a few tears already steaming down her round cheeks. If Rick wasn't worried before he sure was terrified now.

"It happened again. Last night." Michonne sniffled quietly. Rick blew out a hard breath through his nose, not feeling too happy that his suspicions were confirmed.

"What happened, exactly?" He kept his voice calm, gently stroking her hand in soothing circles. He glared up at her house wondering if Charles was currently inside.

"Last night he got home really late. I'm not sure where he'd been. Around five this morning I woke up to the sound of glass shattering. He was intoxicated and breaking alcohol bottles on the mantel above the fireplace. I didn't want him to hurt himself so I thought it would be best to intervene before something bad happened. But he was just so angry." She began sobbing uncontrollably, reliving the abuse.

Rick could feel his jaw hurting with how hard he was trying to remain calm. He didn't want to do anything rash and beat the living hell out of Charles. He didn't want to make this any harder for Michonne than it already was. She didn't deserve that. The best thing he could do for her is to bring her comfort until he properly handled Charles. So he did, pulling her into his arms. Michonne buried herself deeper into his warm chest, feeling safer and cared for. She let out a shaky sigh, trembling in his hold. She didn't realize until now how much she truly needed Rick in her life.

"He choked me. That was the first time I was afraid for my life. I really thought he was going to kill me so I kicked him and he let me go. After I locked myself in my room I wanted to call you but I was just so afraid. I couldn't even move. I just cried until the exhaustion put me to sleep. I should never have gone downstairs. I should have just-"

"Shh. You didn't do anything wrong. You have such a big heart, Michonne." He soothed, rubbing a gentle hand up and down her arm as he held her. His voice came out calm and controlled but his rigid posture gave him away.

"Do you have any other family you can stay with for now?"

"No. I don't have much of a choice living with Charles. I don't need homelessness to be another distraction for me to not finish school. My plan is to put up with Charles until I get my scholarship so I can afford a nice college far away from him and go from there." She reluctantly pulled out of his embrace, quickly drying her tears with the back of her hand. "Thanks for the ride. I didn't get much sleep last night so I'm going to get going." She sniffled, grabbing her bag from off the floor.

"What are you doing?" Rick quickly questioned in confusion. "You can't possible think that I'm going to let you go back in there, especially after last night. I'm not letting Charles within a ten mile radius of you." He stated firmly.

"Well I'm not much in the mood to go to the cafe at the moment. I'd rather lay down and put this awful day behind me."

"Michonne, let me take care of you. I told you I'm here for you and I mean that. You want to lay down? I can provide a safe place for you." Michonne's brows pulled together, confused by his statement.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes." She nodded without hesitation. Rick smiled, feeling an unexpected surge of pride that she'd fully accepted him. Putting the car in drive, he pulled away from the curb and headed down the street. Glancing over at Michonne he took her hand in his again, noticing how she seemed less stressed after her confession.

They pulled up to his home only fifteen minutes later. Michonne took in Rick's green and beige craftsman styled home for the first time, suddenly feeling nervous. Rick took notice.

"Michonne, if it's too weird for you-"

"No. I trust you, Rick. Besides, you're not the one I'm afraid of." She interrupted, smiling somewhat bitterly. Looking over her in sympathy he shut the engine off before exiting the car. Michonne watched him as he walked over to her side and opened the door for her. He helped her out the car and she immediately clung close to him. It was obvious she was seeking comfort and it was understandable. Rick was more than happy to provide her anything she needed.

Soon after they reached the porch, Michonne waited patiently as Rick unlocked the door and held it open for her to enter first. Closing and locking it behind them he watched Michonne who seemed busy taking in her surroundings.

"Its cleaner than I expected." She lightly teased after giving a quick once over near the entryway. Rick smiled, relieved she was able to make light of the situation.

"Don't tell me you believe that stereotype all men are slobs?" He chuckled warmly.

"Kind of? I've never been in the home of a single older man. But I'm impressed." She said with a coy smile.

"Happy to have your approval." They shared a tender smile. "I'll show you to the guest bedroom." Michonne followed closely, looking around his beautiful home and noticing a lack of pictures and personal items. They soon reached a cozy sized room down a long hallway. Since the door was wide open, she was able to get a good view before they'd entered.

"Wow. Looks comfortable." She commented, her eyes focused on the fluffy blanket on the full sized bed. She gingerly sat down, immediately feeling the weight of the day releasing from her shoulders. She'd been waiting for a chance to lay down all day. She began loosening her school tie, glancing up at Rick noticing his silence.

Unsurprisingly she found his eyes already on her, watching over her like her own personal guard. She found she enjoyed receiving Rick's attention. If he ever decided to start dating again he was definitely going to make some woman very happy one of these days.

For Rick he couldn't get over how surreal it all felt to have Michonne in his home, on one of his beds no less. He couldn't help but like what he saw.

"I don't think I have anything that would fit you. I can run upstairs and get you one of my T-shirts though."

"Yes. That would be great, thank you. I've been fantasizing about getting out of this stiff uniform all day." She gave him that look again, like he's hung the moon.

"Roger that." He nodded with a smile, ducking out of the room.

When he returned three minutes later he found her laying on her stomach with her shoes and long white socks neatly placed by the bed. Her rich dark legs on full display with her skirt riding up her thighs just a little. He turned red instantly.

"Uh." He hesitated, feeling like his brain cells were abandoning him. "I'll set it on the night stand." He said as he quickly crossed the room.

"Thank you for this, Rick." Michonne sat up on her elbows, watching him with tired eyes. "All of it. You've been so kind to me. You've been the only one willing to help me through all of this and I just want you to know I really appreciate you coming into my life the way you have."

"It's the least I could do. I don't want you to feel like you're indebted to me. I'm doing this because you deserve justice. You deserve a chance at happiness, Michonne." He stared at her with a lovingly expression. "I'll let you get to it. I'll be in my office grading papers if you need anything." He began to leave the room.

"Actually, painkillers would be great if you have any. It's just my back feels really sore." She blushed, as if it were an embarrassing omission. Rick frowned at her in concern.

"How bad is your pain?"

"It's nothing serious. After everything with Charles last night my body has been bothering me. The painkillers would make it a lot easier for me since I like sleeping on my back."

"Do you mind if I take a look?"

Michonne shook her head, sitting up fully on her knees as she began unbuttoning her school shirt. She watched him as his eyes unconsciously watched her buttons pop open revealing more and more of her smooth skin. Rick's posture was stiff as he breathed slowly, his eyes becoming slightly hooded. He was finally able to snap out of his daze when the last button finally come undone. Quickly feeling embarrassed after realizing he's been watching he looked to the carpeted floor and rubbed the back of his hot neck to cool himself off.

"Uh, I'll wait in the hall."

"No. No need. This will only take a second." As Rick kept his eyes trained on the floor, Michonne carefully removed her white button down in relief. Her bare breasts were briefly on display before she laid down in her original position on her stomach. "Okay."

Rick drew his sight back to her and what he saw quickly made him angry all over again.

Angry was an understatement. Rick felt his jaw flexing hard as he took in the yellow and purple bruises blotched across her back like a sick abusive decoration. He had no idea it was this bad. The only thing keeping him from jumping into his car and knocking all of Charles teeth out of his mouth was the innocent woman laying on the bed in front of him. She didn't deserve any more mess in her life. He refused to screw this up for her. Exhaling a hard breath through his nose he took another deep breath until he felt like he could speak again without exploding in anger. The last thing he wanted to do was make Michonne afraid of him.

"Since we're building a case we'll need the physical evidence. I'm sorry to have to ask but I need to take photos of the bruises. The court will need to see what that monster's been doing to you."

Michonne lay there quietly for a few seconds, not entirely comfortable with the idea, but conceded his request in understanding.

"You're right. The sooner we get this over with the better." She reasoned with not only him but to herself as well. It wasn't that she was uncomfortable with Rick. Not at all. It was the fact that she didn't like him seeing how weak she'd been against Charles.

"I'll be back with a few thangs." He quickly left he room. Michonne could tell when he's pissed even though he tries his hardest not to show it in front of her.

He returned a few moments later with a few items in his hands and an old fashioned Polaroid camera with the straps dangling from his neck. He crossed the room to the nightstand and sat down the painkillers, a bottle of water, and a small tube of Aspercreme.

"Okay. I'm going to take a few pics if you're ready." He gently warned. After getting the go-ahead from her he removed the camera from his neck and leaned over her with one knee resting on the bed. Michonne held still while he took the photos, listening to the clicks of the ancient camera shutters while it insistently began printed out the image.

She shivered unintentionally when she felt his large palm gently drag across her bare back to move a few stray locs out of frame.

"I'm sorry. Did that hurt?" Rick jerked his hand away, concerned after he witness her tense up.

"No. It was just unexpected." She lightly reassured.

"That should be enough photos anyhow." He said as he reviewed over the images before putting them in his back pocket. Michonne made a sound of acknowledgment, her eyes unfocused on the headboard as she massaged her sore shoulder, distracted by the strained feeling in her battered back muscles.

Rick watched for a second, still hovering behind her. He noticed her struggle and without even thinking about it he naturally took over wanting to make it easier on her. Michonne shuddered in pleasant surprise, not having expected his gesture. Again, Rick mistook her reaction for pain, jerking his hand back in worry.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt y-"

"No. You didn't. I liked it." She chuckled, warmed by the level of caution he took with her.

"Yeah?" Rick asked, unsure.

"Yeah. My muscles are just sore, like a dull ache now. Please continue?"

Rick nodded, reaching over her and grabbing the Aspercreme off the table, figuring he'd have to help her with this part anyways. He squeezed out a generous amount in his hands and rubbed them together to heat up the thick cream. Always striving to give her whatever she needed, he slowly began massaging her shoulder in a gentle kneading motion.

After a little while of being cautious he grew more confident with his hand. Based on the happy sighs coming from her lips he was reassured that he wasn't causing her any pain. Rick got into a better position with his knees on either side of her hips, hovering over her skirt clad bottom for a more fulfilling angle.

"Mmm." Michonne moaned appreciatively as he used both of his hands to delicately spread the cream across her back in a soothing motion. "Feels good." She murmured breathlessly, feeling her muscles relaxing as his palms slowly worked her smaller frame. Rick watched Michonne intensely. She had her head laying down facing the right, her lips slightly parted as she slowly breathed out tiny moans. He was enamored with her.

"More pressure, please. You won't hurt me. The medication is working." She promised. Her eyes rolled shut as he didn't hesitate to comply.

"Let me know if I get too rough." He said in a low voice. Michonne smiled, loving how focused and attentive Rick was to her needs. He was properly attending to her aches and the fact that he was so willing to do so was going to have her falling in love with him, if she wasn't already.

Meanwhile, Rick was in his own head marveling at the woman underneath him. Her skin was so soft. With the cream his hands were able to glide like butter across her perfectly rich skin, making it glisten like molten chocolate. Rick's eyes adsorbed it all in as his hands caressed the plains of her back and curvy sides.

Michonne was damn near melting into a pleasurable puddle as she felt his sturdy touch all over her back and sweeping up and down her arms, his touch leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. _His hands are magic._

Rick remained silent, breathing deeply as he listened to the sounds leaving her heart-shaped lips. It had been a while since he heard a woman make those kinds of sounds. He just wanted to make her happy and erase the pain Charles had caused her. If he could make her happy by using his hands to bring her pleasure instead of pain, he didn't see why he should deny her that. He kept his hands above her waistline, only the tip of his thumbs lightly sweeping across the top of her skirt trim. His touch was innocent enough, only a harmless massage to ease her. It was the least he could do.

He stayed away from the sides of her breasts, doing his best to ignore their existence and only glancing at them periodically. The female body was something he always appreciated, especially one's like Michonne's. The bruises were unfortunate but they didn't take away her beauty. Her breathy moans remained low as Rick thoroughly massaged away all the knots in her back, noticing the tension was more loose and relaxed.

"You're so good with your hands." She purred in satisfaction. His hand gently ghosted up her spine and began stroking the back of her slender neck, tenderly rubbing his thumb into the muscles as his left hand rubbed at her lower back.

"That feel okay?" he questioned, his voice deep and gruff.

"Yes." She bit her plump bottom lip, feeling her heart rate increasing. Now that the pain was no longer a distraction she began to feel a different kind of pleasure coursing through her as unexpected arousal caused warmth to pool in the pit of her stomach. She bit back another moan, feeling her bare nipples strain against the soft fabric as he slowly dragged his warm hands up and down her sides, making her skin pleasantly tingle. It all felt so intimate and she knew Rick wasn't doing it on purpose but she couldn't control her body's reaction to him. She wasn't a virgin but besides Mike, she'd never had someone touch her body in this way. And it's been six long years since then. With her body buzzing with pleasure she found herself not wanting Rick to stop touching her.

"Rick." She whispered on a moan, feeling flushed with his strong presence so close above her.

Rick exhaled deeply, feeling his heart elevating as his body grew warm listening to the increasingly rousing sounds Michonne hummed, noticing her bottom wiggling around a little. It had been a while since he last touched a woman like this. The feel of her skin beneath his fingers made him greedy to please her as his head became foggy with lust.

He made the mistake of looking down and seeing her skirt had ridden up her thighs more, exposing two perfectly round cheeks barley covered by white lacy panties. The whole visual of her ass and her dark thighs squished together between his jean clad knees had his dick instantly hard.

"Fuck." Rick quietly whispered in a strained voice. "Sorry. I uh, need to finish those papers before it gets too late. Make yourself at home. We'll discuss arrangements in the morning." He carefully got off of her, his erection pushing uncomfortably against his zipper. He ducked out of the room before she could say anything, not wanting her to see his body's reaction to her for several reasons.

Michonne stayed exactly where he left her, in an aroused puddle on the bed as she realized how fucked she was or at least wished she was. She clenched her thighs tighter together, feeling just how wet she was between her legs as her core pulsated in longing. _Fuck._ She felt even less relaxed than she was before.

…...

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter :)


	5. Chapter 5

**...**

 **SATURDAY- 6:15 AM**

Even though her body was still sore, waking up was a lot less painstaking for Michonne than the previous day. This time around she'd actually managed to get a full night's rest, thanks in large part to the much needed massage that Rick diligently worked on her tender back. The fluffy soft blanket she'd cocooned herself in all night was just an added bonus.

As she lay in bed she wondered if Rick was still asleep. After he left the room last night it surprisingly didn't take long for her to fall into a deep coma-like oblivion. _Would it be okay to take a shower now or should I just wait until he's awake before I do anything?_ For a brief moment she felt awkward and unsure of what to do with herself. She'd only ever woken up in a house that wasn't hers once in her life when she attended a sleep over in middle school. This would take some getting used to if she were to make a habit of sleeping over at her teacher's house. This was her only safe haven from Charles after all. _I have a feeling today is going to be a long one._

Finally sitting up in bed, Michonne yawned loudly while stretching her arms out over her head. Cringing, she doubled over in pain as she felt a sharp and unexpected stabbing pain shooting through the left side of her ribs. Gingerly holding onto her side she breathed deep and slow until the pain slowly subsided.

After a few minutes she finally felt like she could breath properly again. Looking over at the nightstand she grabbed the small bottle of painkillers and quickly popped two pills and chugged the rest of the water from last night. _I'll have to take it easy today._

Making up her mind she decided to just go ahead and have a quick shower. Finding the bathroom didn't take long since it was right across the hall from the guest bedroom. The modest sized bathroom was pretty standard except for the customized shower-head with its multiple settings she was looking forward to trying out on a later date.

Turning on the water as hot as she could stand, she stripped out of Ricks' baggy T-shirt and stepped underneath the shower fall. She closed her eyes in content as the warm water instantly soothed away the stiffness in her muscles, at that moments she knew her quick shower would end up longer than intended.

Nearly fifteen minutes later she decided to end her shower, not wanting to overstep her welcome. She wrapped a fluffy towel around her wet body and paused for brief second, rolling her eyes in annoyance as she realized she didn't have an extra pair of clothes with her. She opened the door and a cloud of hot steam quickly evaporated into the cool air as she made her way back into the guest bedroom and firmly shut the door behind herself.

As she stood in the middle of the room in only a white towel she contemplated what she should do next. She had no intention of putting her school uniform back on, she felt like she suffered in it enough yesterday with how constricting it felt against her sore skin. Plus, she wasn't a fan of putting on dirty clothes after a shower. Her inner turmoil was interrupted when there was three quick knocks on the door.

"Come in."

Rick opened the door and after taking in her undressed state he immediately averted his eyes, his neck already warming underneath the skin.

"Took a shower, hope that's alright." Was her simple explanation.

"Yeah of course. I wasn't joking when I told you to make yourself comfortable." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck with his eyes glue to the floor.

"I realized I don't have any clothes to wear beside my uniform and I really don't want to put that back on." She pointed to her uniform that was still neatly folded on the nightstand even though Rick wasn't looking in her direction."That's why I'm still in a towel."

"Well, I'm sure I can find you something. It probably wont be stylish but it will do for now, if you're interested." He had his hands on his hips now, looking very much like a cowboy with his bowlegged stance.

"Yeah, okay. Thanks, Rick." Michonne smiled, finding his southern manners charming. Rick tipped his head, leaving without another word. It only took a few seconds for him to come back with what appeared to be a kid's sized large T-shirt and a pair of shorts. Michonne chuckled, giving Rick a humorous stare.

"My son's. You're lucky he likes his clothes loose fitting when we play basketball together."

Michonne's laugh was like a bell, she was clearly amused by the turn of events. Rick couldn't help but to join her, always pleased to see that sweet smile lighting up her pretty face.

"They're small and might be tight but you're pretty tiny yourself so it might just fit okay."

"This will be definitely be interesting. Thanks, Rick." Her smile seemed somewhat shy this time and Rick couldn't help but find it endearing.

"No problem. After you get dressed come and find the kitchen. We need to talk about a couple of thangs." His tone became serious. It was now or never. Michonne nodded in understanding, she had a good idea what it was he wanted to talk about and she agreed, it was now or never.

… **...**

"Wow, You cook? It smells really good in here."

Rick perked up at the sound of Michonne's melodic voice and turned his head to greet her. He wasn't prepared to witness the visual she made in his son's clothes. The shirt was tight on her and the shorts were snug and extremely short. He could tell she wasn't wearing a bra and her long legs looked as smooth as ever. He found himself momentarily distracted.

"Is something wrong?"

"Uh, no." Rick shook his head to clear the fog. "Not at all. Come have a seat at the table. Breakfast is pretty much ready."

"You cooked for me?" She smiled with wide eyes, giving him that look he loved so much. It seemed food was an easy way to get on Michonne's good list. He would definitely keep that in mind.

"Of course." He laughed, enjoying her easy company. "You're a guest here. I'm at your beck and call."

Michonne laughed sweetly, delighted by the way her morning was going. She took a seat and watched him scoop her portion on a plate and carry it over to her. She practically drooled over the steaming omelet breakfast placed in front of her. Rick smiled at her reaction and got her a cup of orange juice. By the time he'd poured his coffee and gotten his own plate Michonne was already quickly working on her portion. He sat across form her amused, though he knew it was time to get down to business.

"So I was thinking it might be a good idea to inform principle Jones about your situation with Charles."

Michonne's frown is immediate and fierce.

"Rick-"

"Hear me out." He rushed, seeing her getting ready to protest. "Last night I was thinking and I came up with a plan."

She quirked a perfect brow, folding her arms in preparation to shut him down.

"It's time to deal with Charles once and for all. It's far too dangerous for you to continue living with him and I wont allow it to continue. The plan is, I send the pictures I took of your bruises last night to the local police station along with a note detailing some of the thangs that's been happening between you and Charles. I was able to get a background check on him too. We'll send that with his picture along with your address so there's no hesitation on their part. With that much of an accusation the officers will have no choice but to head right over there. Charles would have no choice but to face confrontation." He rationalized. Michonne loosened her stance, realizing his plan wasn't a terrible one after all.

"Now, I'm not exactly happy about this part but you'll have no choice but to do this alone." Michonne's eyes narrowed as she stiffened once more, not liking the turn of events.

"What?"

"They can't know I was the one who send this information to them. They will ask too many questions about how I'm involved. If they find out I'm the one who took those picture it won't look good for either of us and the plan will fall through."

Michonne still didn't like it but she understood the risk Rick was willing to take in order to provide a better life for her and she could admit she found herself loving that about him.

"You're right." She nodded in acceptance even though she began to feel nauseous with anxiety.

"This part is crucial, Michonne. You have to tell them everything and I mean every last single thing he's ever done to you. It will be hard but this may be your only chance to be free of his abuse once and for all." Rick's intense blue eyes bore into her big brown orbs. She could see so much sincerity and concern reflecting back at her.

"Where does Principal Jones come into play? Why exactly should we involve him in any of this?"

"Well, not only is he my boss but he's also a good friend of mine. Telling him why you'd be living here with me would make it a lot easier to take you to and from school without being questioned. He'd be sympathetic to you, Michonne. I trust him with this information and I know he'd understand. Please trust me on this." Rick strongly pleaded. He only wanted to do what was best for her and by now she more than knew that, but that didn't make this any easier.

"I suppose you've proven to me that I can trust you, and it's true, this needs to end once and for all."

Rick's felt his shoulders relaxing, relieved she was seeing sense.

"This is a good thing, and you'll see that soon. We'll finish up breakfast and afterwards I'll call up Morgan to fill him in. Don't worry, I promise I won't go into too much detail. Once he's on board we'll make our first move, if that's okay?" He wanted to make sure he didn't make a single move without her explicit permission. He didn't want her trust in him to wane. Michonne took a deep breath, realizing things were about to get a lot more real and a lot quicker than she'd expected.

"Okay, let's do it." She smiled outwardly but inwardly she cringed. Was she really ready for this? Though, she kind of didn't have much of a choice considering Charles was forcing her hand with the stunt he pulled the other night. Regardless if she was ready or not there was no denying Charles had almost killed her that night and if he attempted it once there was a high chance he'd try it again. That was a risk she wasn't willing to take.

They had a much lighter conversation during breakfast and despite her impending mission Rick was easily making her smile again. Once breakfast was over and they cleaned up the kitchen together Michonne sat with Rick as he had the conversation with Morgan she'd been dreading. Morgan took the news as any sane person would. He was very upset but also grateful for Rick intervening in the matter. Michonne was surprised when Rick handed her his phone, telling her that Morgan wanted to speak with her.

"I'm terribly sorry for all the horrors you've been through, Ms. Anthony, but I can guarantee you that you're in good hands now. Rick's got a pure heart, he's always willing to do whatever it takes to save those in need. He's a great man and I trust him with your safety just like I trust him with my sons life, but that's a whole other story." He chuckled, memories of when Rick saved his son's life flashing through his mind.

"He's doing something for you that I don't think most people would, so put your faith in him. He's doing right by you, Ms. Anthony. I know your current situation isn't ideal but Rick's been good to you, hasn't he?"

"Yes. He's been extremely helpful, principle Jones. I'd be a lot worse off had Mr. Grimes not intervened when he did."

"Good to hear you're being taken care of. You two hang in there and let me know if there's anything I can do to make your time at school more comfortable."

"I will. Thank you for understanding, principal Jones."

After their phone conversation with Morgan it didn't take long for Rick to send all the evidence to Alexandria PD. The only thing they had left to do was drop Michonne off at home so she could change into her own clothes and be present when the the cops arrived so she'd have a chance to make her statement.

"You ready for this?" Rick asked, car keys in hand as he watched the many expressions play on Michonne's slightly pinched face. Taking a deep breath she met his searching gaze and gave him the best smile she could muster.

"I'm ready."

A few moments later they were in Rick's car headed down the street on their way to Charles's place. When they arrived to the house Rick parked a few spaces down as a precaution. Noticing slight tremors rock through her body he gently pulled her into his arms and whispered sweet encouragements in her ear.

"You got this, Michonne. Keep your phone on you in case anything goes wrong. I'll be waiting right here in this spot until I know you're safe." He gently reassured, trying his best to sooth the worries from her mind. Nodding her head in appreciation, she finally let him go and shook off her nerves of what was about to happen soon.

Rick watched her make her way into the house with a pensive look on his face. The wheels of their plan was finally in motion.

… **...**

Nearly thirty minutes later there was a few resounding knocks on the heavy front entry door startling the occupants that resided inside the Anthony house hold.

"Coming!" Mrs. Dorthy, the middle-aged Caregiver, stopped in the middle of her task of cleaning the kitchen counter tops and quickly made her way over to the entryway to answer the door. Wiping her wet hands on her apron she unlocked the tumbler mechanism and pulled open the thick fiberglass door.

"Oh," She gasped in shock at seeing two uniformed male officers and a casually dressed woman standing on the porch, all carrying serious expressions on their faces.

"H-Hello. How can I help you?"

"Hello ma'am. Is this the Anthony residence?" The blonde woman asked getting straight to business.

"Yes. It is." She blinked in confusion, unsure of the purpose for their visit.

"Are you Mrs. Anthony, the wife?"

"Oh goodness no. I've worked as Mr. Anthony's Caregiver ever since his wife unfortunately passed away several years ago."

"Is Mr. Anthony home at the moment? It's urgent that we speak with him today."

"Yes of course. He's here working in his office. I'll go and get-"

"I'm Charles. What is this about?" Charles's large presence appeared besides Dorthy. He was still dressed smartly in his tailored Todd Snyder suit having just gotten home from work only an hour ago.

"Is this about Michonne? Has she done something senseless again?" He said in displeasure. He was just on his way to the den for a much needed glass of bourbon when he heard the commotion at his front door.

"My name is Andrea Harrison. I'm a social worker currently working with Alexandria PD. Early this morning we received a disturbing anonymous tip including a few details and graphic images with this address scribbled on the back. We're here to investigate these serious allegations of assault to a Michonne Anthony conducted by the accused Charles Anthony.

"Excuse me?" Charles's face immediately hardened in defense. "I'm going to have to ask you all to remove yourselves from my property. I do not consent to being questioned." He shook his head as he grabbed the door knob in an attempt to shut it.

"We take these allegations seriously, sir. If you do not cooperate you will be interfering in an open investigation and will be detained without further questioning."

Charles frowned deeply with anger reflecting in his narrowed eyes.

"What's going on?" Michonne came into view standing behind Charles, she could feel her palms sweating as she tried to keep the tremor out of her voice.

"Hello miss. Are you Michonne Anthony?" The blond gently asked while standing boldly and unbothered under Charles' furious stare.

"Yes, I'm Michonne." She murmured, feeling an overwhelming intimidation by Charles presence and a sharp drop of confidence in their well thought out plan.

"There has been serious accusations brought to our attention involving you and a Charles Anthony that cannot be ignored. Do you mind if we have a moment of your time today?"

Michonne could practically feel the anger radiating off of Charles as he stood as rigid as a boulder with stiff unmoving shoulders.

"I don't mind." Michonne conceded after a pregnant pause.

Charles sharply turned his head in her direction with all of his anger now directed at her.

"Like hell you will. Did you do this?!" He growled, balling up his meaty fist at his sides in outrage as he took a step towards her.

"Hey! We will restrain you if you can't behave, sir. Now, if you don't want to have your business publicized to the whole neighborhood I suggest you let us inside so we can all discuss this matter in a more private setting." Andrea rationalized while both cops watched with hawk eyes with a firm hand resting on their weapons.

Charles clenched and unclenched his teeth in barley controlled rage as he took in the unfavorable situation unfolding in front of him.

"Let me remind you, If you deny us access we will detain you. If you resist you will be arrested."

As a lawyer Charles knew the laws very well. Relenting, he swung the door further open and stepped back allowing the social worker and two officers inside his home.

… **...**

Downstairs the two cops went straight to work questioning Charles and Dorthy while Andrea examined Michonne's injuries in the privacy of the young woman's bedroom.

"Is that man downstairs Charles Anthony?" Andrea started off with light questions to ease the young victims nerves as she took a seat next to Michonne on the edge of the bed.

"Yes." Michonne easily answered, placing her clammy hands in her lap. _I wished Rick could be here with me right now._ In such a short amount of time Rick had quickly became her crutch, so much so that it felt wrong not having him with her in this crucial moment.

Andrea nodded while writing something down in her notepad.

"He's your father?"

Michonne sighed, unsure how to answer without telling the blonde too much of her personal life.

"He raised me." She shrugged, not feeling the need to delve down memory lane, especially with a total stranger seeing as it wasn't necessary information for the investigation.

"Is Charles Anthony the one who did this to you?" Andrea asked softly with sorrow in her sky blue eyes.

"Yes." Michonne looked away in degradation as Andrea quickly jotted down more notes.

"Who sent those photos to the station? Was it you?"

"No. A friend. I didn't have the courage to report it myself." This all felt so surreal to Michonne.

"I was in a similar situation as you when I was younger. That's one of the main reasons why I got into this career. So, I do have an understanding of where your mindset is and the emotions you're feeling right now. We're on your side, Michonne." She placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I read the whole report and it disgust me what he's been doing to you. He's not getting away with this." Andrea stated firmly.

Michonne nodded, unsure if she believed the woman or not.

"Your back is pretty banged up." Andrea sighed in sympathy. "And there's mild swelling over your left ribs. It looks a lot worse in person. Will you consent to a medical examination? I have paramedics on standby. They can be here in five minutes and escort you to the hospital if need be. I don't want to worry you but I do believe this needs professional attention." Michonne nodded in consent, not saying anything else. She'd already figured as much.

"How long has this been going on?" Andrea asked in genuine concern as well for the purpose of the investigation.

"A little over five years now, after my mom died." Michonne confessed. Andrea brows creased in sadness for the younger woman, wondering what kind of hell she's been suffering through in this big house all alone with a monster for all these years.

They both turned their attention to the door as several firm knocks resounded through the wooden structure.

"Enter." Andrea called out. One of the officers opened the door wide with a small smile underneath a thick graying mustache above his lip.

"We just got a full confession from Charles Anthony." He said with both accomplishment and sympathy towards Michonne. "We're getting ready to take him in now."

"He confessed? That easily?" Michonne asked in shocked surprise, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Listen Michonne, I know this is hard but I do suggest you press charges for your own safety. I know he's your family but you can't go on living with that man, not while he's doing this to you. People like him who beat on their own children are dangerous. Press charges and he can never hurt you again, I can promise you that. I'll take care of everything." Andrea vehemently pledged with a hand placed across her heart.

Michonne exhaled a heavy breath, feeling the hefty weight of both sets of eyes on her as they awaited her response. This was substantial. Her answer could undoubtedly ruin Charles's life, probably forever and he would never forgive her. She wasn't sure if she was ready to lose her only remaining family, regardless of how terrible that family member treated her. Though, she knew Charles wasn't completely blameless. He'd made his own bad choices that lead them to their current predicament.

"You're right." Maybe Charles will eventually see this as a good thing. He will be forced to get the help he'd denied he needed, thus neglected to seek. _This is whats best for both of us in the long run._

"I want to press charges."

"Do you have any other relatives you can stay with? I know you're of age but unless you have a job I don't see how you're going to afford the expenses of this house. Besides, you shouldn't have to be alone."

"I don't have any other relatives that I know of, but I can stay at my friend's place."

"This the same friend that sent in the tip?"

"Yes." Michonne confirmed, not delving too deep into her answer to keep Rick's identity anonymous.

"Well it sure sounds like you have a friend that really cares about you." Andrea smiled, happy the younger woman had someone to take care of her.

"Yeah, I do." Michonne chuckles lightly. _If only she knew just how great Rick really is._

Everything that followed after that was a blur to Michonne. She denied Charles's request to speak with her one last time and opted to watch from her window as he was escorted down the walkway by two cops with his hands cuffed behind his back. They made eye contact as he was placed in the back seat and stared at each other until his figure was no longer in sight.

Andrea stayed to help Michonne pack her bags and soon after, the EMT showed up and quickly examined her before ushering her into the waiting van.

She glanced down the street and saw Rick's car still parked exactly where he said he'd be. She was touched he kept to his word, it was more proof that he genuinely cared about her.

"Don't worry. The expenses will be billed to Mr. Anthony. Here's my card. Call me when you're done at the hospital. I can come pick you up." Andrea handed Michonne her business card.

"Thank you, Mrs-"

"Call me Andrea." Andrea waved off with a flick of her hand.

"Thank you, Andrea. You've all been very helpful. But it's fine, I have a ride home.

"That friend again, huh?" She smiled and winked at her.

"Yeah." Michonne looked away, feeling her face getting warm at Andrea incorrect assumption.

"Well alright. If anything happens or if you need someone to talk to just give me a call."

"Believe it or not I'm not doing this to punish him. I believe Charles can be saved from himself. He just needs to learn how to heal first. So please see to it that he finally gets the help he needs to rehabilitate."

"I can tell you have a big heart, Michonne." Andrea sighed as she gazed at Michonne in pity.

"You're a better woman then me, that's for damn sure. But you have my word, so smile pretty girl. Your troubles are over." Andrea gave Michonne a gentle hug, mindful of her injuries. She waved goodbye and closed the back of the van.

Finally alone Michonne pulled out her phone as the vehicle began moving down the street. She scrolled through her short list of contacts until she found Rick's number.

 **M: The plan worked. Charles has been arrested. Omw to the hospital now.**

Michonne hands slightly trembled as she finished the text and pressed send. There were so many thoughts and emotions swarming through her, and she felt like she didn't have a single chance to decompress anytime soon.

It didn't take long for Rick to respond.

 **R: You're so brave Michonne.**

Except, she didn't feel brave right now, not without Rick by her side.

 **R: I know how you're feeling right now and I wish I could be there for you, but you did something so amazing today. You have to realize how much strength it takes to do what you just did. There's so many things I admire about you, Michonne.**

Michonne unexpectedly felt her eyes begin to water as tears quickly and silently ran down her round cheeks.

 **M: Can I give you a call after the checkup?**

 **R: Of course you can, you never have to ask me that. Use my number as often as you need, I'll be here. I'm scheduling an Uber now so it'll be there at the hospital by time you're finished.**

Michonne smiled past her tears as she stared at his message through a blurry and distorted visual. She felt overwhelmed in that moment, wondering how someone could care so much about her the way he did. There was so much she wanted to tell him, but doing it over text didn't seem good enough.

 **M: Thank you, Rick. I needed to hear that. I'll call soon.**

Their plan had actually worked, and far better than she'd ever thought it would.

… **...**

"Alright, we're all done Ms. Anthony. You can pick up your prescription at your convenience. Only apply light pressure with the cold pack though. You have a small rib fracture but it can get a lot worse if you're not being careful." Dr. Greene advised with a kind smile as he handed Michonne the prescription slip.

"I understand. I'll do my best to be careful." Michonne thanked the good doctor with a small smile before making her exit. Walking down the white pristine halls she dug her phone out of her back pocket and dialed Rick's number as she promised.

"Michonne, hey. What did they say? Are you okay?" Michonne smiled at the worry in Ricks voice, touched that he genuinely cared about her well being.

"Hey, Rick. They gave me a CT scan and found a fractured rib. Other than that I'm fine, everything else is just surface muscle damage. They said the best thing they could do for me is to let my rib heal on its own and not restrict it in anyway. They gave me a prescription for the pain though." She stopped at the elevator and pressed the button for the first level.

"I wish I could be with you. You shouldn't have to be there alone." Rick sighed. Michonne could hear the frustration in his voice.

"It's for the best. No one else can know you're involved in any of this. Plus, it all went by pretty quick." She said soothingly in an attempt to ease his displeasure as the elevator doors finally opened up.

"Still... I don't want you to worry about anything, okay? Once you get here I'll take care of you. I'll go and get your things tonight once you've settled in. The Uber is already there so you don't have to wait or anythang." Michonne bit her lip to hold back a laugh. Rick was fussing over her like a doting husband or a paranoid mother, she couldn't tell. However, she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy his attention.

"I really appreciate it, Rick. Everything you've done for me has been beyond substantial. You've done more for me in such a short amount of time than anyone's ever done for me my entire life."

"You deserve happiness, Michonne, especially after everything you've been through, and I'll do everything in my power to make sure you have it. Shoot me a text when you're on my street. I have a surprise waiting for you."

"Rick." Michonne's brows bunched together in disbelief. A second later the elevator dinged as it came to a stop and the electronic doors opened once more.

"You've done more than enough already and I don't expect anything else from you." She shook her head even though he couldn't see her as she walked towards the exit ahead of her. "I'm grateful but I can't accept whatever it is." She could feel herself become flustered, If only Rick knew he was unintentionally making her fall in love with him he'd understand where she was coming from.

"What did I just tell you about worrying? Anything I do, It's because I want to. You deserve something good after the day you've had." But ever since Rick made it his business to know her personal affairs she'd felt like she finally had something good in her life.

The cool and fresh outside air felt welcoming on her heated flesh. If only Rick knew the kind of affect he had on her...

"Well, the Uber is here like you said. I'll see you in a little bit."

"Alright, good. I'll see you soon, 'Chonne."

Michonne stared at her phone in mild shock. It had been quite some time since she'd last heard that nickname.

Getting into the Uber she was suddenly hit with the reality that her life was about to turn into one unrecognizable to her, but now that she had Rick by her side she wasn't afraid of the impending change.

… **...**

When the Uber pulled up into the driveway Rick was already on the porch waiting for her. His face lit up when she got out of the car and their eyes made contact.

Michonne didn't even hear the car pulling away as her tunnel vision led her straight into Rick's open arms. She felt an immense weight lifting from her tired shoulders as he gently held her in his arms without an ounce of hesitation. She'd seen him this morning but with the events of today it felt like a lifetime ago.

"You did the right thing and I'm so proud of you. You're an amazing woman, Michonne. It's over now. I won't let anyone else hurt you again."Rick continuously murmured praises in her ear. Michonne didn't even realize she was crying until Rick told her she didn't need to anymore as his hand took to soothingly rubbing up and down her back.

"Sshh, I know. The hard part is over, everything gets easier from here on out. I'll stay by your side through the rest, I promise."

Falling in love was dangerous and often times filled with excruciating pain, but Michonne figured if she could survive through Charles's abuse for all those years, she'd survive through a one-sided love affair.

 **A/N: So sorry for the long wait but we're back on track! Thank you everyone for showing so much love and support! It really is appreciated and motivating :)**


End file.
